FIFA and FIFPRO have agreed to negotiate a new cooperation agreement for professional footballers based on seven key areas, including the role of players in decision-making and the future of national team competitions.
The seven key areas that will form the basis of the new negotiations will be:
• Player conditions and competitions in national team football
• Professionalisation of the game on a global level
• Decision-making processes in recognition of players’ rights as workers
• Domestic and international players’ employment conditions
• Commercial development of football
• Innovative projects to benefit players
• Player education and career planning
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino and FIFPRO President, David Aganzo signed an agreement letter outlining the proposed structure of the agreement, which both organisations aspire to finalise in the coming months. Several areas of collaboration were discussed, including professional game governance, men’s and women’s international match calendars, and player conditions surrounding the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Both organisations signed a six-year cooperation agreement in 2017. FIFPRO and FIFA agreed to implement several improvements to benefit professional footballers, including new maternity regulations, upgrades employment regulations, and a fund to provide financial aid to players whose clubs have closed.
FIFA and FIFPRO will seek to conclude a new agreement in 2023, underlining their commitment to close and consistent collaboration on player-related issues. According to Gianni Infantino, FIFA has been increasingly engaging with FIFPRO on many levels in recent years, and this matter is another step to ensure they are on the right track. Every discussion and challenge can be easily resolved with cooperation and mutual understanding.
Meanwhile, FIFPRO President, David Agonzo stated that a healthy and transparent relationship between football stakeholders is essential in order to work on a new agreement that will go further in putting players at the core of professional football decision-making and development. Both organisations will continue to work in order to protect the rights of players, and these negotiations will aim to establish greater influence, involvement, and protections.
