FIFA legal case could pave way for Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs to get Premier League '39th game'

The idea of a 39th game for the Premier League has been kicked around for more than 15 years. Following a meeting of owners and executives of Premier League clubs in London back in 2008, it was decided that the competition would add another game to its calendar.

That round of games was slated to be played in January in various cities around the world, the idea being that it was the perfect way of growing the Premier League brand and bringing the power of football’s biggest domestic competition to fans in their own market once a season.

Former Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said at the time: «We have to recognise this is a world game and sport has become an international business.

»The Premier League is in a prime position to take advantage of this. It's as big a strategic move as the league has made since it started. But if we don't do it, another sport will come and do it to us."

And they did.

For more than a decade North American sports' major leagues have been travelling the world promoting their wares. Initially, it was exhibition games, much like pre-season friendly tours that have become the norm for Premier League teams, but that has long since moved into bringing regular season games to different territories.

In the UK, the NBA and MLB are both regular visitors, while the NFL has a deal with Tottenham Hotspur that allows them to host regular season games of America's biggest sport on an annual basis at Spurs' home stadium, something that has proven lucrative for the club and the NFL. Even the construction of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was done partly with the NFL in mind; wider doorframes, bigger locker rooms, and even media access points in the changing room due to the different ways that the US media