FIFPRO Not Invited To FIFA Player Welfare Meeting

JAKARTA - The Global Professional Footballer Union, FIFPro, was not invited to a summit in New York between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the group of players following an announcement by FIFA that a "consensus" has been reached regarding the rest and well-being of players.

FIFA issued a statement on Sunday, July 13, 2025, early in the morning local time, stating that key issues related to player welfare have been discussed and an agreement on a period of rest must have been agreed upon.

However, according to ESPN reports, FIFPro, representing 66,000 players worldwide, and the UK-based Professional Footballers Association (PFA) were not present at the meeting and had no role whatsoever in any discussions.

FIFPro has urged FIFA to take a more active role in consulting with the unions when adding to the fixture schedule, especially holding the 2025 Club World Cup which was first followed by 32 teams in the United States this summer.

FIFPro president Sergio Marchi has criticized the 2025 Club World Cup with a strong rebuke which also mentions that players are forced to play in unacceptable conditions.

In a statement, Marchi, who chose to fly back to Argentina instead of attending the 2025 Club World Cup final between Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain in protest over FIFA's claims of an agreement, said FIFA was at risk of experiencing a dangerous gap with the players.

"Although the 2025 Club World Cup recently sparked enthusiasm among many supporters and allowed some world-leading figures to be seen in one tournament, the FIFPro cannot fail to show, very clearly, that the tournament is hiding a dangerous gap with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world."

"What is presented as a global football celebration is nothing more than fiction created by FIFA, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who support this sport with their daily efforts," Marchi said.

The European FIFPro and a group of European leagues filed a lawsuit against the European Union in June 2024, accusing FIFA of abusing its dominant position in football and violating European competition laws by expanding the international match calendar without proper consultation. Decisions have not been taken.

Meanwhile, the representative of senior players considers FIFA's statement to be highly flawed and no single agreement has been reached legally binding.