Overview

• In Amsterdam on July 25, FIFPRO assembled 58 national unions to formally accuse FIFA of silencing players and operating an autocratic governance model.
• The meeting followed FIFA’s claim of having secured rest-period agreements—a claim denied by FIFPRO, which said it was excluded from discussions led by president Gianni Infantino.
• Last year’s EU competition complaint by FIFPRO Europe and European leagues against FIFA’s calendar expansion continues pending before regulators with no verdict reached.
• FIFPRO general secretary Alex Phillips highlighted players’ fear of speaking out over congested schedules and cited reports of dizziness and fatigue during the recent Club World Cup in the United States.
• FIFA responded by labelling FIFPRO’s approach as divisive, urging constructive dialogue through legitimate bodies and challenging the union’s transparency record.