Top Soccer Leagues Team up to Form Worldwide Network

LONDON (AP) — A new worldwide group of soccer leagues will meet in New York in October seeking closer working links.

The European Professional Football Leagues group says Major League Soccer will host the Global Leagues Forum session on Oct. 19-20.

The forum launched in London on Tuesday with leagues from 22 countries, including England, Germany, Mexico, Nigeria, Qatar and the United States.

The EPFL says topics included business models and "relationships with players and fans."

The European group says forum members provided almost 90 percent of the players at the 2014 World Cup.

The global group has formed as soccer stakeholders seek more say in decisions made by governing bodies. European authority UEFA has promised the European Club Association two seats on its policy-making executive committee.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.