UEFA rights shake-up deepens as CAA Eleven faces national-team contract loss
UEFA’s national-team rights tender is set to end CAA Eleven’s long hold on the portfolio, with Relevent and Sela still in contention for a mandate that would reshape the commercial sales model from 2028/29.
CAA Eleven is set to lose UEFA’s men’s national-team commercial rights contract, marking another major agency change in European football after Relevent replaced TEAM Marketing on UEFA club competitions.The long-serving agency is understood to have been told that its bid to retain the national-team portfolio was unsuccessful.UEFA appointed CAA Eleven in 2012 to manage the sale of media, sponsorship and licensing rights for its national-team competitions, creating a centralised model for properties including European qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League.The loss would end a relationship of more than 15 years by the time the current cycle expires.Relevent Sports and Sela are understood to remain in contention for the next mandate, which would begin from the 2028/29 cycle.Relevent has already secured the global sales role for UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027/28 to 2032/33 through UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs.That deal ended TEAM Marketing’s long-standing hold over Champions League commercial rights and positioned Relevent at the centre of UEFA’s new club competition sales strategy.Winning the national-team mandate would give Relevent an even larger role across UEFA’s commercial ecosystem, spanning both club and national-team football.Sela’s presence in the process adds another layer of strategic interest because the Saudi events and entertainment company is owned by the Public Investment Fund.A Sela win would bring PIF-linked capital and event expertise into the commercial management of UEFA national-team rights at a time when Saudi Arabia’s sports investment continues to expand globally.The tender covers a portfolio expected to include UEFA national-team competitions beyond Euro 2028, potentially involving the Nations League, European qualifiers and other men’s national-team properties.The process reflects UEFA’s willingness to challenge long-standing agency relationships as rights holders seek higher values, broader digital strategies and new routes to market.It also follows a wider shift in football rights sales, with agencies increasingly expected to provide data, technology, sponsorship strategy and global market access rather than conventional sales support alone.CAA Eleven remains responsible for the current national-team cycle and Euro 2028 sales activity.UEFA’s final decision will determine whether Relevent adds national-team rights to its club competition mandate or whether Sela secures a landmark European football role from 2028/29.