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Football Players Versus FIFA: The Battle Over the Calendar

The International Federation of Professional Players (FIFPRO) and the European Football Leagues have filed a complaint to the European Commission against FIFA, citing concerns over the congested international match calendar.

In a joint statement, the two bodies accused FIFA of making “unilateral decisions” and alleged that this conduct “violates European Union competition law and constitutes an abuse of power.” FIFPRO advocates for the interests of players, while the European Leagues Association represents over a thousand clubs across 33 European countries.

They argue that FIFA’s scheduling of international matches is detrimental to both the economic interests of national championships and the well-being of players. They highlight a “conflict of interest” in FIFA’s dual role as both sponsor and organizer of competitions.

FIFA has faced significant criticism for recent changes to its competition schedule, particularly the introduction of a 32-club World Cup set to debut in the United States in June and July 2025. This tournament will see 12 European clubs participating, forcing many top players to compete during what should be their off-season, just a year before the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The two bodies argue that the current international match schedule has surpassed sustainable limits, posing a threat to the health of players and the viability of national championships. They claim that FIFA’s decisions over the past years have favored their competitions and commercial interests, neglecting their responsibilities as a governing body and harming national leagues and player welfare.

Their statement emphasized that national associations and FIFPRO, which represent clubs and players at the national level, cannot accept global regulations set unilaterally by FIFA. They stressed that legal action is the only responsible step to protect football’s ecosystem and workforce from FIFA’s unilateral decisions.

The statement referenced a ruling by the European Court of Justice last December, which mandates that FIFA and other governing bodies exercise their regulatory functions transparently, objectively, and non-discriminatorily. They assert that FIFA’s current calendar does not meet these standards.

Additionally, the Spanish League, although not a member of the European leagues, has joined the complaint. This move follows legal actions initiated by the Professional Footballers’ Associations in England and France in Belgian courts last June, seeking to determine if FIFA’s decisions have violated players’ rights under European Union law.

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