SOCCER: FIFA and players' union FIFPRO announce cooperation agreement

FIFA and global players’ union FIFPRO announced on Wednesday a landmark cooperation agreement that formally strengthens players’ involvement in football governance and establishes a long-term framework for reforms in the global game.

The agreement, which will run until December 2031, officially recognizes FIFPRO as the global representative body for professional footballers. It also grants the union a seat on the FIFA Council for the first time, along with representation on FIFA’s legal committees.

In exchange, FIFPRO and its member unions agreed to withdraw all ongoing legal cases against FIFA and to discontinue support for other related claims. The move signals a significant shift toward institutional cooperation between players and football’s world governing body.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a joint statement that the deal marks “a new era in FIFA’s relationship with FIFPRO.”

“Players shape the game we all love, and we must ensure their protection and well-being,” Infantino said.

Under the new framework, FIFA, FIFPRO, clubs, and leagues will participate in a shared platform designed to discuss and approve major changes affecting the sport. Any future revisions to the international transfer system, player welfare regulations, and mandatory rest periods will require collective agreement among these stakeholders.

FIFPRO President Sergio Marchi welcomed the agreement, describing it as a major step forward for professional football.

“Ensuring that players and their representatives have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their careers is not only beneficial for footballers, but for the game as a whole,” Marchi said.

As part of the deal, FIFPRO also agreed to respect the official international match calendar and support rules requiring clubs to release players for national team duty.

The agreement includes the creation of a $20 million fund covering the 2026–2029 period to assist players facing unpaid salaries from clubs. It also outlines plans to develop global minimum standards for women’s national teams, aimed at improving working conditions and consistency across federations.

Following the agreement, FIFPRO called on its member unions to distance themselves from a separate multi-billion-euro class action led by the Dutch foundation Justice for Players (JfP). While FIFPRO is withdrawing its own legal actions, several regional unions, including the Dutch VVCS, had previously supported the case, which argues that current transfer regulations suppress player wages.

The independent lawsuit, which remains active and is estimated to involve around 100,000 players, was launched after a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice challenging FIFA’s transfer rules.

The announcement comes days after FIFA confirmed it had settled a separate dispute with former France midfielder Lassana Diarra, whose case played a central role in the European court ruling that triggered wider legal challenges to the transfer system. -Reporting by Tommy Lund in GdanskEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters