FIFA officials met to discuss player welfare ahead of the 2026 World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and other FIFA officials held fruitful discussions with players’ unions from across the world at a meeting held in Rabat, Morocco on the day of the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025™.
The meeting was also attended by the members of the Players’ Voice Panel, including honorary captain George Weah, and several legends and world champions from men’s and women’s football.
The meeting, attended by representatives from 30 players’ unions, followed on from the constructive exchanges in July 2025 in New York, United States, between FIFA and players’ unions in the context of the FIFA Club World Cup™.
“At FIFA, we remain committed to further enhancing player welfare and working conditions across the world by implementing concrete and meaningful measures with a view to improving football for the future. This is evident through the substantial investment that FIFA will be making through the FIFA Fund for Professional Players, and through other opportunities to engage via the various FIFA bodies, as well as other important initiatives agreed at this initial FIFA Professional Players Consultation Forum gathering.
“We would like to thank all the players’ unions which have proactively approached FIFA to engage in open discussions. FIFA wants to work with all those genuinely interested in progress and respectful dialogue, our door is always open to all views that respect these values. This is a real movement for the players and we are happy about that,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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The first point of agreement between the representatives present was the formalisation of the creation of the FIFA Professional Players Consultation Forum as a group to advance the collective interests of professional players around the world.
The following key initiatives, which focus on player welfare and general working conditions, were endorsed by FIFA and over 30 players’ unions worldwide in Rabat:
Player rest and recovery: Subsequent to the kick-off meeting held with unions in July, the following principles were once again supported:
-At least 72 hours of rest between matches
-Rest period/holiday of at least 21 days between seasons
-One rest day per week
-Measures to consider long-haul intercontinental trips and climatic conditions.
These points will be further consulted with other key stakeholders, particularly in the context of the discussions on the International Match Calendar.
FIFA Fund for Professional Players: FIFA will establish and manage a fund for professional players, allocating an investment of $20 million for the 2026-2029 period.
The objective of the fund is to provide financial support to players who are unable to recover outstanding salaries due to financial difficulties faced by their clubs. The relevant regulations will be defined by FIFA in due course in consultation with the players’ unions.
Representation of players’ unions in FIFA bodies: Players’ unions representatives will be included in a number of FIFA Committees to ensure the players’ voice is heard in the consultative processes at the highest level.
Development support for players’ unions: FIFA will establish a dedicated support mechanism for players’ unions subject to strict good governance criteria. This support will be aimed at developing players’ union activities within their respective national jurisdictions. Special focus will be given to programmes aimed at training and educating youth and professional players, as well as developing and growing women’s football.
Legal matters: A working group involving FIFA and the players’ unions will be established to advance legal matters through regular meetings and continuous dialogue. The working group will cover topics such as the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, national dispute resolution chambers and minimum standards for player contracts.
Further meetings between FIFA and players’ unions are due to take place in the coming months.
Meanwhile, watch the feature about Swedru All Blacks’ journey from the Division One to the GPL below
