“Too many games, health at risk”: leagues and footballers against FIFA, complaint filed with EU

The European Leagues and Fifpro Europe, the footballers' union, together with LaLiga, have presented a formal complaint to the European Commission against the FIFA, accusing the organization of abusing its dominant position in the management of the calendar of international competitions for 2025-2026. At the center of the complaint, in particular, the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, events that, according to the leagues and the union, put the health of the players and the economic sustainability of the national championships at risk.

The complaint, filed with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, points to an "overly saturated" international calendar that its proponents say not only compromises the physical safety of athletes but also threatens the integrity of domestic competitions, beloved by generations of fans in Europe and around the world.

“FIFA is imposing a calendar that harms national leagues, players and fans”, reads the complaint, detailed and supported by evidence. The Leagues and FIFPRO highlight the lack of involvement of stakeholders in decisions on calendars, and accuse FIFA of using its governing power to promote commercial interests to the detriment of national competitions.

One of the central points of the complaint concerns the alleged “conflict of interest” of FIFA, with reference to the recent rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, as in the case of the Super League and the footballer Diarra. These decisions, according to the Leagues and FIFPRO, have established that FIFA, by virtue of its dominant position, must operate in a transparent, objective and non-discriminatory manner. Instead, according to the promoters of the complaint, the rules imposed by the Federation are well below what is required by EU legislation.

The management of the calendar, the Leagues and the players' union still denounce, risks compromising the health and safety of the athletes, already subjected to extremely intense playing rhythms, as well as undermining the economic interest of the national competitions, which represent a cornerstone of European football. The presentation of the complaint follows a long legal analysis of the case, started by the representatives of Fifpro and the European Leagues already in July, and is considered as a necessary step for “safeguard the European football sector”.

Finally, the Leagues, FIFPRO and LaLiga reiterated their willingness to work with the European Commission and other relevant institutions to address the issue and find solutions that can ensure a balance between international and domestic competitions, without putting players and the future of domestic leagues at risk.