Player unions, European leagues begin latest legal challenge against FIFA

BRUSSELS (AP) — In a busy soccer season when players have talked of going on strike, their union teamed up with domestic leagues to go to the European Union on Monday with a long-promised challenge to FIFA about how it adds new and bigger men’s competitions.

The European division of player union FIFPRO and the 33-nation European Leagues group filed a formal complaint on competition grounds alleging FIFA fails to consult properly on commercially-motivated decisions.

It is the latest dispute playing out in the legal arena, where FIFA has been pressured in the past year by rulings related to the European Super League, player agent regulations and — just this month — the global transfer market.

On the field, FIFA will launch a 32-team Club World Cup — including 12 from Europe — 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 last for one extra week.

“The international match calendar is now beyond saturation and has become unsustainable for national leagues and a risk for the health of players,” the union and leagues have said.

The complaint Monday to the European Commission targets FIFA, which manages the calendar of protected dates for national-team games. Clubs must release players who are selected.

It does not cite European soccer body UEFA, which this season has committed hundreds of players to extra competitive games by expanding three of its men’s international competitions: the Champions League and Europa League for clubs, and the Nations League, which has a new playoffs system.

Europe’s domestic leagues have had their fixture scheduling options squeezed by four extra midweeks from September through January now occupied by UEFA club competitions.

The leagues’ grievance with FIFA is in not being fully consulted during talks to agree the latest calendar renewal through 2030 for national-team games, which mostly force them to shut down lucrative weekend fixture slots.

FIFA has said its offers this year of talks were not taken up.

The complaint in Brussels, to the executive arm of the 27-nation EU bloc, has been joined by Spain’s La Liga and claims FIFA abuses its dominant position in soccer.

FIFA’s role, the complaint states, as governing body and regulator conflicts with its commercial objectives as a competition organizer.

FIFA previously suggested there was hypocrisy in European soccer, which sees clubs play lucrative offseason games worldwide, while it had a global duty to protect and develop the game.

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