GLOBAL WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: THE PRICE OF NON-FIFPRO MEMBERSHIP — PLAYER PROTECTION GOES BEYOND SALARY TO MATERNITY AND WORKPLACE RIGHTS
By Paul Lucky Okoku For many years, the struggle in women’s football was simply for the right to play. Then it became a fight for recognition, proper competition and fair
For decades, women's footballers fought simply for the right to play. The struggle has evolved into a quest for recognition, fair competition, and equitable pay. As the sport gains popularity, the question arises: Are the safeguards protecting these athletes keeping pace with its growth? Wearing a professional jersey should signify more than athletic prowess.
It implies access to proper contracts, medical care, secure working conditions, maternity leave, protection against harassment, the ability to negotiate collectively, and a meaningful role in decisions impacting their careers. This underscores the importance of organized player representation.
At the 2026 FIFPRO Women’s Player Summit in Oslo, players deliberated on collective bargaining agreements, employment standards, maternity protections, women's health, and the international match schedule. As the game becomes more professional, it is crucial that it adheres to professional employment standards. A single player negotiating alone faces a club replete with administrators, legal counsel, medical teams, and financial resources.
A players' union enables footballers to tackle common workplace issues collectively rather than each player facing battles independently.
Collective bargaining addresses various workplace aspects, including contracts, salaries, medical standards, insurance, leave, travel, accommodation, and dispute-resolution procedures. At FIFPRO's March 2026 Women's Football Summit in Sydney, discussions encompassed professionalisation, commercialisation, collective bargaining, structural reforms, equal conditions, and prize money.
Maternity protection, though significant, is just one facet of the workplace. Women footballers also require safeguards during pregnancy, maternity leave, breastfeeding, and addressing women-specific health concerns. Additionally, protection is needed during injury, contract signing, travel, instances of discrimination or harassment, and concerns about working conditions.
Professional football subjects players to severe physical demands. Consequently, medical care, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and return-to-play decisions become integral to employment matters. A report by FIFPRO's Project ACL in September 2026 highlighted substantial disparities in staffing, access to facilities, and resources among clubs in England's Women's Super League.
This research aids in establishing evidence-based minimum working standards for professional women's football, as an ACL injury can potentially jeopardize a player's career. The quality of medical diagnosis, rehabilitation, and return-to-play decisions directly influences a player's health and livelihood. An injured athlete is not merely an inactive team member; she is a professional whose career may hinge on the medical support surrounding her.
Women footballers must operate in harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and abuse-free environments. Football ceases being a workplace when athletes don boots rather than business attire. In scenarios where power dynamics exist between employers, coaches, administrators, and athletes, robust safeguards are imperative. A player should understand where to report misconduct, the procedures involved, and that she does not have to confront formidable individuals or institutions alone.
A union not only aids in recovering unpaid salaries but also assists in establishing procedures and collective standards to safeguard individual workers. As FIFA and FIFPRO signed an agreement in June 2026 to enhance formal cooperation, one commitment is to develop global minimum standards for women's national teams and ensure a fair distribution of prize money from major FIFA competitions among participating players.
This empowers players to exert a more significant influence on the economic expansion of the sport. Ultimately, players must have a seat at the table. While representation allows players to raise concerns and priorities, it demands meaningful consultation with active players regarding their working conditions, challenges, and desired changes before negotiations commence. The player's collective voice should guide the discussion, not merely the representative.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
