FIFA has announced measures to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of players worldwide
FIFA is extremely disappointed by the increasingly divisive and contradictory tone adopted by FIFPRO leadership as this approach clearly shows that rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, FIFPRO has chosen to pursue a path of public confrontation driven by artificial PR battles, which have nothing to do with protecting the welfare of professional players but rather aim to preserve their own personal positions and interests.
The global football community deserves better. Players deserve better.
On Saturday, 12 July 2025, following a protracted period of unsuccessful efforts to bring FIFPRO to the table in an environment of non-hostility and respectful, progressive dialogue, FIFA convened with multiple player unions in New York, United States, to announce and reaffirm concrete, progressive measures designed specifically to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of players worldwide, including:
1. Mandatory minimum 72 hours of rest between matches
mandatory rest period / holiday of at least 21 days at the end of each season
2. Provisions that in future discussions for the international match calendar, player travel – especially long-haul intercontinental trips – and the climatic conditions under which matches are played should be considered when defining policies
3. The representation of players and player unions in FIFA’s standing committees and in the FIFA Football Tribunal
4. The potential participation of player and player unions in FIFA Council meetings when players’ matters are addressed
5. The creation of an open, global and consultative player representatives FIFA panel
6. Further reform of the transfer system and its related regulations (e.g. Training compensation, trial of young players, etc.)
7. Further development and growth of women’s football
cooperation in establishing collective agreements to improve player conditions
8. Timely payment of player salaries and the further development of the FIFA Fund for Professional Players
9. The development of training and education programmes for youth and professional players, and
10. The establishment of essential safeguards to protect players in areas such as equality, discrimination, and harassment.
These concrete measures go beyond what FIFPRO has been pretending to be asking for, and FIFA is extremely surprised by their leadership’s reaction.
Instead of welcoming these unprecedented announcements that benefit players all around the world, FIFPRO has responded with a series of personal and disrespectful attacks.
This approach reveals a lot about FIFPRO priorities. It suggests that their leadership does not really care about the players but rather about internal political fights and their image.
FIFA’s proposed reforms are about impacting genuine change to support players and are far more important than preserving FIFPRO’s perceived image.
FIFPRO, regrettably, has consistently refused to engage constructively in these efforts.
Instead of contributing meaningfully, they have opted for theatrical denunciations, prioritising media headlines over measurable progress for the players they claim to represent.
