Legal action against FIFA by European Leagues and global players’ union FIFPRO has been expanded to include concerns over the governing body’s handling of the women’s international match calendar.
European Leagues, which represents 53 professional divisions and 1,328 clubs across 34 countries, initially filed a complaint with the European Commission in October 2024 over the men’s football calendar.
The organisation, whose members include the Premier League, English Football League, Scottish Professional Football League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, accused FIFA of abusing its dominant position under European competition law.
The original complaint alleged that national leagues and player unions were not properly consulted over the new men’s international calendar announced in 2023.
European Leagues has now widened the complaint to include what it described as FIFA’s “abusive conduct” regarding the women’s international match calendar and other regulatory decisions affecting the women’s game.
“FIFA’s conduct threatens the growth and financial sustainability of women’s professional leagues, and risks player health and wellbeing,” European Leagues said in a statement on Tuesday.
The organisation called on the European Commission to intervene, arguing that the future of professional women’s football should not be determined unilaterally by FIFA.
European Leagues claims the latest submission identifies the same fundamental concerns raised in its original complaint.
It argues that FIFA’s dual role as both football’s global governing body and an organiser of major competitions creates a conflict of interest.
“As in men’s football, FIFA consistently uses its regulatory power to favour its own competition and commercial interests to the detriment of women’s football and of European national leagues,” the statement added.
The expansion comes after European Leagues welcomed 14 women’s divisions into its membership in June, including the Women’s Super League and Scottish Women’s Premier League.
FIFA has been approached for comment.
The dispute comes during a turbulent period for world football’s governing body and president Gianni Infantino.
FIFA faced intense scrutiny during the summer over Infantino’s proposal to allow private investors to acquire stakes connected to the World Cup and other competitions.
The proposal, linked to the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, sparked significant opposition across international football.
UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, before withdrawing that threat after receiving assurances that the plan would not proceed.
Infantino has subsequently faced pressure from several confederations following the collapse of the proposal.
Despite the controversy, the 56-year-old Swiss administrator is expected to seek re-election as FIFA president in March. Infantino, who first took office in 2016, is pursuing another term that would keep him in the role until 2031.
Relations between FIFA and UEFA have also become increasingly strained.
FIFA last week accused European football’s governing body of conducting a “smear campaign against it and its leadership” amid a legal dispute surrounding Infantino’s abandoned investment proposal.
UEFA has filed legal papers in the United States seeking the disclosure of evidence and documents from FIFA and has warned that it could pursue a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
The expanded European Leagues and FIFPRO complaint now adds another dimension to the pressure facing FIFA, with the governance of the women’s international calendar, player welfare and the financial sustainability of domestic competitions moving firmly into focus.
