FIFPRO Europe Statement: FIFA World Cup

FIFPRO Europe has noted with deep concern the proposal to transform the FIFA World Cup and other FIFA competitions into investable assets for private capital, a move that would fundamentally and irreversibly reshape the incentives underpinning the competitions in which players work, compete and build their careers.

Given the proposal’s potentially far-reaching implications for player welfare, the international match calendar and the future governance of the game, it is particularly troubling that a project of this magnitude has been developed largely behind closed doors and brought close to agreement without any meaningful engagement with those most affected. The decision to bypass the dialogue mechanisms recently established between FIFA and FIFPRO only reinforces these concerns.

The proposal also raises fundamental concerns about the future governance of world football and the integrity of the game. Stakeholder participation in FIFA’s decision-making has always been limited. It must not now be displaced by commercial influence, allowing financial interests to outweigh the voices of those who play, support and sustain the game.  FIFPRO Europe cannot – and will never – support such a model.

Within FIFA, neither FIFPRO nor players have a vote. Yet they will live with the consequences of these decisions long after the current FIFA leadership has moved on.

The responsibility now lies with FIFA to reconsider its proposal without further delay. Every national football association, meanwhile, carries a responsibility that extends far beyond today’s financial returns or tomorrow’s commercial projections.  

Governments, public authorities, confederations, leagues, clubs and supporters also have a role to play in ensuring that football remains a public trust, not merely a commercial asset.

FIFPRO Europe stands ready to work with every institution and stakeholder committed to protecting both the interests of players and the long-term integrity of the game. Football’s future deserves nothing less. And neither do the players who will shape it.