The upcoming tournament will reportedly feature all eight teams that have won the World Cup. These teams include England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay, who will participate in what is called the Elite Players Group (EPG) Cup.
The EPG was created last year by a group of former players and sports businessmen who will also captain the teams in the tournament, as per reports from the Daily Mail. For instance, former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder McManaman is said to be leading the England team, while other captains include Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Emerson (Brazil), Christian Karembeu (France), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Marco Materazzi (Italy), Michel Salgado (Spain), and Diego Lugano (Uruguay).
The tournament proposal stipulates that only players over the age of 35 who have earned a cap for their country or made at least 100 appearances in a top-flight league can participate. Provisional squads rumored to be in contention for the tournament boast a host of world-class talent, with the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Rivaldo reportedly set to feature for Brazil, and Michael Owen, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, and others for England.
Notably, Germany’s Mesut Ozil will be one of the youngest players at the tournament after turning 35 in October. The tournament is set to feature renowned figures of the game, like Francesco Totti for Italy, Carles Puyol, and David Villa for Spain, and Thierry Henry and Marcel Desailly for France.
Organizers have a tight deadline of four months to finalize plans, but they reportedly remain confident in their ability to pull the tournament together. The north of England has been targeted as the location of the stadiums, with the tournament’s dates tentatively set between the Champions League final on June 1 and the commencement of Euro 2024 on June 14.
Furthermore, it is reported that 18-man squads will be confirmed in due course, and matches will be 11-a-side but played over 70 minutes instead of the usual 90, with roll-on, roll-off substitutions allowed to keep players fresh. The quarter-finals are said to be scheduled for June 4 and June 5, with the semi-finals on June 8 and the final on June 11.