FIFA and FIFPRO have committed to strengthening cooperation between football’s regional governing confederations and professional players’ unions, seeking to ensure that footballers have a stronger voice in decisions affecting their careers, welfare and working conditions.
The commitment forms part of a new phase of collective decision-making following a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two organisations in June 2026. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and FIFPRO General Secretary Stéphane Burchkalter have now written a joint letter to their respective regional divisions and confederations, urging them to translate the global agreement into meaningful cooperation at continental and national levels.
According to an official statement published by FIFPRO on November 10, the initiative is intended to establish a more inclusive and constructive relationship between football authorities and player representatives across the different regions of the game.
The joint letter identifies five priority areas for regions where cooperation remains limited:
* Re-establishing or strengthening regular dialogue between football confederations and player representatives.
* Identifying shared priorities that can deliver practical benefits for professional footballers and the wider game.
* Establishing regional structures for discussions, exchanges and consensus-building among stakeholders.
* Exploring formal cooperation agreements or Memoranda of Understanding.
* Developing joint initiatives covering player health, welfare, employment conditions, workload, dispute resolution and the development of men’s and women’s professional football.
FIFPRO and FIFA also pointed to existing partnerships in Europe and South America as examples of how regional cooperation can work. UEFA and FIFPRO Europe already operate under a formal agreement, with FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier sitting on UEFA’s executive committee. Similarly, CONMEBOL and FIFPRO South America have established a formal cooperation framework.
FIFPRO’s official statement
In its November 10 publication, FIFPRO reproduced the central message from the joint letter by Burchkalter and Grafström:
“This new relationship is not intended to remain limited to the global level. Its success will ultimately also depend on our ability to translate this commitment into meaningful cooperation across the different levels and regions of football.”
The statement further emphasised:
“At its heart, the MoU reflects a shared commitment to a culture of partnership, transparency, mutual recognition and shared responsibility.”
The two organisations also expressed confidence that stronger relationships between confederations and player representatives would create a more stable, credible and inclusive football environment, ensuring that professional players’ experiences and concerns are reflected in decisions affecting the sport.
Africa and national football federations included
The announcement has particular significance for African football, with FIFPRO identifying Africa among its five regional divisions and CAF among FIFA’s six confederations.
The initiative provides an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between CAF and FIFPRO Africa, particularly on employment protection, unpaid salaries, player welfare, working conditions and dispute resolution.
FIFA and FIFPRO also confirmed that they would write to selected national football federations in the coming days, encouraging closer relationships with FIFPRO-affiliated national players’ unions and associations.
This next phase is intended to extend collective decision-making beyond international and continental structures into domestic football administration.
Background: The landmark FIFA-FIFPRO agreement
The latest development builds on the agreement signed on June 10, 2026, which runs until December 31, 2031.
At its centre is the establishment of a Global Social Dialogue Platform, chaired and administered by FIFA, bringing together players’ representatives, football clubs and leagues to negotiate important regulatory and employment matters.
Under the agreement, future changes to FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players will be subject to collective agreement among the recognised social partners. The same approach will apply to player welfare and occupational health standards, including holidays, mandatory rest periods and recovery requirements.
Other significant provisions include:
* FIFPRO representation on FIFA’s Football Tribunal, judicial bodies and several standing committees.
* Observer representation with speaking rights on the FIFA Council for player-related matters.
* A $20 million FIFA Fund for Professional Players covering the 2026–2029 period to assist footballers unable to recover unpaid salaries from their clubs.
* Development of global minimum standards for women’s national teams.
* Cooperation on player education, medical research and employment protections.
The agreement also provided for FIFPRO and its continental divisions to withdraw existing legal proceedings against FIFA and refrain from initiating or supporting future proceedings outside football’s regulatory framework.
The latest initiative therefore represents an important attempt to turn the June agreement into practical cooperation across the football pyramid, giving professional players and their representative organisations a more meaningful role in shaping the future of the sport.
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