Explained: Why did footballers’ union FIFPRO and European leagues take legal action against FIFA?

During a busy soccer season, in which players have talked about going on strike, their union joined with national leagues to address the European Union on Monday with a long-promised challenge to FIFA on how it’s adding new, bigger men’s competitions.

The European division of players’ union FIFPRO and the group of 33 European leagues have filed a formal complaint on competition grounds, alleging that FIFA failed to properly consult on commercially motivated decisions.

It is the latest dispute in the legal field, where FIFA has come under pressure over the past year over decisions related to the European Super League, the regulation of player agents and – this month this only – to the global transfer market.

On the ground, FIFA will launch a 32-team Club World Cup, including 12 European teams, in the United States next June and July, and the 2026 World Cup, also in North America, will have 48 teams instead of 32 and will last an additional week.

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“The international match schedule is now beyond saturation and has become unsustainable for domestic leagues and poses a risk to player health,” the union and leagues said.

The complaint, filed Monday with the European Commission, targets FIFA, which manages the calendar of dates scheduled for national team matches. Clubs must release selected players.

He does not cite UEFA, the European football body, which this season has involved hundreds of players in extra-competitive matches by expanding three of its international men’s competitions: the Champions League and the Europa League for clubs. , and the Nations League, which has a new playoff system. .

Europe’s domestic leagues have had their match schedule options reduced to an additional four weeks between September and January, now occupied by UEFA club competitions.

The leagues’ grievance with FIFA lies in the fact that they were not fully consulted during negotiations to agree the latest renewal of the calendar until 2030 for national team matches, mainly forcing them to close lucrative slots for weekend matches.

FIFA said its offers for negotiations this year were unsuccessful.

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The complaint filed in Brussels, with the executive branch of the 27-nation European bloc, was joined by Spain’s La Liga and claims that FIFA is abusing its dominant position in football.

According to the complaint, FIFA’s role as a governing body and regulator is at odds with its commercial objectives as an organizer of competitions.

FIFA previously suggested there was hypocrisy in European football, which sees clubs play lucrative off-season matches around the world, when it had a global duty to protect and develop the game .