FIFPRO Europe calls for FIFA reform after Infantino’s failed proposal

European soccer players' union FIFPRO Europe called for FIFA to implement reforms on Monday, expressing concern over the world governing body's recently abandoned investment proposal that exposed significant flaws in the structure of global football governance. The union released a study alleging that FIFA's shelved Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative would have transformed the sport's premier competitions into assets for private capital, without adequate consultation from key stakeholders.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino introduced the FFE proposal earlier this year, but withdrew it after facing substantial opposition. FIFPRO Europe highlighted that the governance issues that allowed the proposal's development remain unresolved. The study, created in collaboration with Player IQ and Football Benchmark, states that the FFE initiative aimed to turn the game's core competitions into an investable, tradeable, and undervalued financial asset for private capital.

The union's call for reform is part of a broader discussion surrounding the balance of power in the global game. In a court filing related to challenges from European soccer body UEFA, FIFA argued opposition to its proposals was motivated by attempts to maintain Europe's dominant position in the sport. The union supports initiatives to boost development funding for smaller federations but insists that any solidarity mechanism should be developed jointly by all stakeholders, not imposed unilaterally.

According to the report, European clubs employed 856 players during the expanded 2026 World Cup, and released players worth approximately 16.9 billion euros ($19.8 billion), which equates to 94% of the tournament's total player value. All 20 individual award winners from the last five World Cup editions were employed by European clubs, underscoring the need to protect football's "critical infrastructure" and call for an independent review of FIFA Council executive decision-making to prevent major changes from being advanced by a single office acting alone.

The report observed that the share of World Cup revenue allocated as prize money to participating countries had decreased to around 7.7% in 2026, down from 10.5% in 2006, despite significant growth in tournament revenue. The union emphasized that players receive only a fraction of this return, while participating federations rely on it as FIFA's sole performance-based revenue stream.

The union also advocated for the formal inclusion of players, clubs, and leagues in football governance, alongside national associations. Reuters has reached out to FIFA for a response to the report's findings.