It comes before UEFA's Executive Committee is set to meet virtually tomorrow and will appoint the hosts of next year's UEFA Nations League Finals, the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final and the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. 

"From promoting values in education of young people, to promoting equality and diversity and fighting all forms of discrimination, UEFA and the European Parliament have a longstanding shared vision of European football as a force for good," said Čeferin.

Čeferin and Sassoli also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on European football.

The UEFA European Championship was among the numerous sporting events postponed to 2021 as a result of the global health crisis. 

"This has been one of the most difficult years for football in Europe," Sassoli said.

"Players have seen their leagues cancelled or postponed and fans have been unable to attend matches in person. 

"As normality slowly returns, we need to protect the European model of sport, one based on solidarity, the involvement of fans and the strengthening of communities who share a love of football and the values of sport.

"This contributes to a common European feeling. UEFA has an essential role to play in protecting the integrity of the game and ensuring it benefits Europe as a whole."  

PepsiCo has agreed to the renewal of its UEFA Champions League sponsorship deal for the 2021-2024 cycle.

The agreement includes sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Key priorities of the partnership include PepsiCo and the tournament working together to deliver increasingly sustainable events and reduce plastic waste. 

Advancing equality and improving the lives of others also remain important goals of the partnership, according to the organisations.

"PepsiCo has been a UEFA Champions League partner since 2015 and we are delighted to welcome them onboard for another three-year cycle," said UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein. 

"PepsiCo is a trusted, innovative and influential partner and we are looking to draw on this energy and experience in order to work together to develop a wide range of activations, which will benefit football fans across the globe in the coming years."

PepsiCo joins Heineken and Mastercard in committing to sponsoring the UEFA Champions League from 2021 to 2024.

In August, the food and beverage company became a main partner of the UEFA Women's Champions League and UEFA Women's European Championship after signing a multi-year agreement.  

"Since becoming a sponsor in 2015, the PepsiCo and UEFA partnership has become stronger and more exciting each year," said Ram Krishnan, PepsiCo’s global chief commercial officer. 

"Today it is the largest global platform we activate against, with more than 100 of our markets eagerly participating each season with best-in-class commercial programmes, from iconic pack solutions and point of sale activations to engaging marketing campaigns with some of football’s best athletes supporting our brands."