LONDON — Imagine a World Cup without Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. In other words, soccer’s premier tournament shorn of its biggest stars.
Such an unthinkable idea is being openly discussed among the sport’s highest authorities, according to leaks of behind-the-scenes discussions involving some of soccer’s leading clubs. The discussions have included the possibility of a collective breakaway league. Such a competition, seemingly the brainchild of the Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez, would render the teams and players in it as pariahs to the rest of the soccer world, Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, said.