The Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A are set to issue a joint call for urgent reforms to FIFA’s governance, amid growing tensions between Europe’s leading domestic leagues and world football’s governing body.
The four leagues are expected to demand greater independent oversight at FIFA and a more meaningful role for stakeholders in major decisions, particularly those affecting the international football calendar.
The joint statement is expected to be issued on Friday.
Growing Pressure for Change
According to a football insider familiar with the matter, the four leagues will insist that FIFA needs to reform its governance structure.
“The Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A are going to issue a joint statement insisting that FIFA must reform to have more independent oversight and give stakeholders, including leagues, a meaningful role in decision-making.”
The development follows a legal complaint submitted to the European Commission in 2024 by European Leagues, FIFPRO Europe and La Liga over FIFA’s handling of the International Match Calendar.
The complaint argued that FIFA’s dual role as football’s regulator and competition organiser creates a potential conflict of interest and called for greater transparency and participation from leagues and player representatives.
The European Leagues have continued to identify governance and calendar scheduling as major concerns, with the organisation saying this month that it remains focused on finding a better balance between domestic and international football.
The Battle Over ‘Calendar Creep’
At the heart of the disagreement is what European leagues describe as the increasing expansion of the football calendar.The introduction of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, alongside concerns over the frequency and growth of international competitions, has heightened fears among domestic leagues about fixture congestion and its effect on players and national competitions.
European Leagues and FIFPRO have previously argued that an increasingly crowded calendar can affect player welfare and the economic sustainability of domestic football.
Infantino and the FIFA Investment Controversy
The proposed reforms also arrive at a difficult moment for FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal explored the creation of a commercial subsidiary managing rights to major FIFA competitions, with up to 20 per cent potentially being sold to private investors. The proposal generated opposition from several football authorities before it was abandoned in July.
Infantino has since proposed an independent external review of FIFA’s governance framework and consultations on how major strategic decisions are made.
Despite the criticism, Infantino remains committed to seeking another term as FIFA president at the March 2027 Congress in Rabat.
The emerging position from Europe’s leading leagues therefore adds another significant layer to the wider debate over how FIFA should be governed and how much influence domestic competitions and other football stakeholders should have in shaping the future of the game.
Comments are moderated before appearing.