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The global footballers’ union FIFPRO has launched a scathing criticism of FIFA’s leadership, accusing the governing body of systematically ignoring player welfare and failing to engage in meaningful dialogue around increasingly congested football calendars.
The accusations follow a high-level FIFPRO summit in Amsterdam involving 58 national player unions, convened to express growing concern over FIFA’s governance and what FIFPRO has described as a troubling disregard for players’ fundamental rights.
FIFPRO General Secretary Alex Phillips said many elite players are reluctant to raise concerns publicly for fear of damaging repercussions to their careers. “Before the Club World Cup, I was speaking to some of the top stars and they were saying they hadn’t had a rest for ‘X’ amount of time,” Phillips said. “One of them even said, ‘I’ll only get a rest when I get injured’. Others were resigned actually, and cynical about speaking up.”
In a strongly worded statement released after the summit, FIFPRO criticised FIFA’s handling of the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States. It argued that the competition was held in extreme heat and without adequate concern for player recovery or safety, all while FIFPRO was excluded from key welfare meetings.
“It is unacceptable for an organisation that claims global leadership to turn a blind eye to the basic needs of the players,” the statement said. “One clear example of this disconnect was the recent Club World Cup, celebrated by President Infantino despite being held under conditions that were extreme and inappropriate for any human being, demonstrating a troubling insensitivity to human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes.”
FIFPRO also described FIFA’s governance under president Gianni Infantino as “autocratic”, warning that decisions are being taken based on commercial priorities rather than player welfare. “The overloaded match calendar, the lack of adequate physical and mental recovery periods, extreme playing conditions, the absence of meaningful dialogue, and the ongoing disregard for players’ social rights have regrettably become pillars of FIFA’s business model,” FIFPRO said.
The union had previously lodged a legal complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of violating competition laws and abusing its dominant position by unilaterally expanding the international match calendar.
FIFA responded sharply to the union’s criticisms, claiming the tone adopted by FIFPRO was “increasingly divisive and contradictory”. In a statement, it said: “FIFA is extremely disappointed by the increasingly divisive and contradictory tone adopted by FIFPRO leadership. This approach clearly shows that rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, FIFPRO has chosen to pursue a path of public confrontation, which aims to preserve their own personal positions and interests.”
As the football calendar continues to expand ahead of the 48-team World Cup in 2026, the gulf between players and FIFA shows no sign of narrowing—raising questions over how long the sport’s leading figures can remain silent on the mounting toll of an overcrowded schedule.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Jay Pics, Unsplash / Muhammad Usman
