The Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and LaLiga have called for far-reaching reforms at FIFA, demanding stronger checks on its president and a formal role for football stakeholders in key decisions.
In a joint statement on Friday, the four leagues said FIFA must establish clearer constitutional boundaries and create greater separation between its regulatory responsibilities and commercial operations.
Their intervention is the first coordinated response from the leagues since FIFA President Gianni Infantino abandoned an attempt earlier this year to attract outside investment into FIFA’s commercial activities. The proposal provoked opposition from across world football.
“The World Cup may be the pinnacle of our sport, but the foundations of football are sustained week in and week out, in packed stadiums and local communities, by dedicated players, fans, clubs and leagues around the world,” the leagues said.
“Football’s longstanding foundations have, in recent years, been threatened by a fundamental governance problem, whereby FIFA’s president has actively promoted exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them. And while football’s stakeholders ultimately forced the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, the conditions that led to FFE remain.”
The statement comes as FIFA’s governance faces increased scrutiny, with Infantino seeking re-election next year. FIFA has been contacted for comment.
Relations between FIFA and Europe’s leading domestic leagues have deteriorated over recent years, particularly because of disagreements about the expansion of international competitions.
Clubs and leagues have repeatedly argued that the increasing number of FIFA-organised events puts additional pressure on players and risks reducing the value of domestic competitions.
Infantino attempted to respond to those concerns earlier this week in a letter to the FIFA Council and the presidents of all 211 member associations. He proposed that the Council consider commissioning an independent external review of FIFA’s governance framework for major strategic initiatives.
He also suggested consulting confederations, associations and other stakeholders about improving decision-making, while reaffirming his commitment to remain FIFA president.
“The FIFA President has now acknowledged the need for reform, but it is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE - fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference,” the leagues said.
Several European federations rejected Infantino’s proposal, while UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin delivered a strong assessment on Wednesday. Although he did not name Infantino, Ceferin was clearly referring to plans to sell private investors up to a 20% stake in FIFA’s commercial rights, including rights connected to the World Cup.
The project was abandoned in July after opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF.
The four leagues want FIFA to give affected stakeholders a genuine voice in its decisions and create a permanent representative body involving national associations, leagues, clubs and players from both men’s and women’s football. They also called for evidence-based decisions and a clear separation between FIFA’s regulatory and commercial functions.
“The future of FIFA matters to everyone who cares about football, because our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined,” the statement said.
“FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual. The wider question is whether FIFA’s president should simultaneously wield such regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances, including the agreement of affected stakeholders.
“More than a decade ago, following criminal proceedings involving senior football officials, FIFA’s own reform process sought to address these issues - yet, once again, football has suffered one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history.”