The European Leagues have called for sweeping governance reforms at FIFA, saying the world football governing body must end what they described as unilateral decision-making after FIFA President Gianni Infantino abandoned a controversial proposal to sell stakes in FIFA’s commercial and event-related activities.
In a statement, the European Leagues said the withdrawal of the FIFA Football Enterprise (FFE) proposal was “the only logical outcome” following widespread opposition across the football community. However, the organisation said the proposal and the manner in which it was handled exposed “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making.”
The leagues also criticised FIFA’s reported plans to explore expanding the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup to 64 teams. According to the statement, FIFA circulated a research brief on July 30, giving stakeholders just four weeks to assess the proposal without consulting domestic leagues, clubs or players.
The organisation argued that such decisions would significantly affect football calendars, competition planning and the livelihoods of stakeholders, warning that FIFA “must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions” that disregard the interests of leagues, clubs, players and fans.
The European Leagues reiterated their demand for governance reforms that would give football stakeholders a formal role in shaping major decisions affecting the global game.
The statement said the latest developments reinforced concerns that prompted the organisation to file a formal complaint with the European Commission in October 2024 over what it described as FIFA’s conflict of interest in acting as both regulator and commercial operator of international football.
The leagues said they have held several productive meetings with the European Commission over the past two years and expressed confidence that the Commission would act to safeguard fair competition and ensure compliance with principles established by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Until meaningful governance reforms are introduced, including legally binding consultation with football stakeholders, the European Leagues said they would continue to oppose any expansion of existing FIFA competitions or the creation of new ones.