FIFA: FIFPRO Europe calls for safeguards after Forward Enterprise failure

The European players’ union specifically requests an independent review of the FIFA Council’s executive decision-making process to prevent a project of such magnitude from being advanced without adequate consultation. It also seeks to ensure that players, clubs, and leagues have a formal role in governance alongside national federations.

The report published by FIFPRO Europe, in collaboration with Player IQ and Football Benchmark, also highlights the economic weight of European clubs. According to data cited by Reuters, these clubs employed 856 players who participated in the 2026 World Cup, with an estimated value of €16.9 billion, accounting for approximately 94% of the total value of players in the tournament.

The study further notes that the share of World Cup revenue redistributed as bonuses to participating teams has decreased from about 10.5% in 2006 to 7.7% in 2026, despite the overall increase in competition revenue. FIFPRO Europe asserts its support for strengthening solidarity mechanisms but insists that they should be defined in collaboration with key stakeholders in the game rather than being decided unilaterally.

This initiative comes three months after the agreement signed on June 10 between FIFA and FIFPRO. This protocol established a Global Social Dialogue Platform bringing together representatives from players, clubs, and leagues, and enhanced FIFPRO’s presence in various FIFA bodies concerning player-related issues.

However, the controversy surrounding Forward Enterprise has reignited tensions. In a statement on August 6, FIFPRO deemed that the withdrawal of the project was insufficient to address the governance issues raised during its development. On Bénin Web TV, the candidacy of Gianni Infantino for re-election was already contextualized within this atmosphere of dissent regarding FIFA’s leadership.

Reuters reported that it had reached out to FIFA regarding the findings of the new report. No response from the organization was published in the dispatch released on Monday.