FIFA has launched the FIFA Professional Players Consultation Forum, a new platform designed to strengthen cooperation between the world governing body and players’ unions with a focus on improving player welfare and working conditions. The announcement followed a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, held on the day of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup final, and attended by representatives from 30 players’ unions.
Senior FIFA officials, including President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström, joined members of the Players’ Voice Panel, among them honorary captain George Weah, alongside several former internationals and world champions. The forum builds on discussions first held with unions in New York last July in the context of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Central to the talks was a shared commitment to protect players from excessive workload and to embed clearer safeguards within the global match calendar. The unions reaffirmed principles that include a minimum of 72 hours between matches, a rest period of at least 21 days between seasons and at least one rest day per week, together with measures that take into account long-distance travel and climatic conditions. These proposals will be further examined with competition organisers during ongoing reviews of the International Match Calendar.
FIFA also confirmed the creation of the FIFA Fund for Professional Players, allocating 20 million USD for the period 2026 to 2029. The fund is intended to provide financial assistance to players who are unable to recover unpaid salaries due to the financial instability of their clubs. FIFA will define the eligibility and regulatory framework in consultation with players’ unions to ensure transparent and targeted support.
In a move to strengthen representation, players’ unions will be included on selected FIFA committees, ensuring the player perspective is represented within advisory and decision-making processes at the highest level. Complementing this, FIFA will introduce a dedicated support mechanism to help develop and professionalise national players’ unions, subject to strict governance criteria. Priority areas include education and training for youth and professional players and the continued development of the women’s game.
A joint working group will be formed to progress legal and regulatory matters through regular dialogue. Its agenda will cover the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, the role and functioning of national dispute resolution chambers and the establishment of minimum standards for player contracts. The intention is to create a consistent, enforceable framework that supports both player rights and sporting integrity across different jurisdictions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the forum represents a meaningful step in ensuring that players’ voices are heard in the evolution of the modern game. He underlined FIFA’s commitment to concrete measures that improve welfare and working conditions through respectful and constructive cooperation with unions. Further meetings between FIFA and players’ unions are scheduled in the coming months as the forum begins its long-term work.
