FIFPRO Europe, the European soccer players’ union, has called for reforms to FIFA ’s decision-making structures after Gianni Infantino’s abandoned investment proposal exposed flaws in football governance.
The union made the call on Monday in a study on FIFA’s shelved Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
Infantino unveiled the FFE proposal earlier this year but later withdrew it following widespread opposition. FIFPRO Europe said the controversy showed that FIFA’s governance problems remain unresolved.
“FFE was an attempt to convert the game’s core competitions into an investable, tradeable and undervalued financial asset for private capital,” the report stated.
Player IQ and Football Benchmark produced the study.
FIFPRO Europe said FIFA should not pursue major changes without proper consultation with players, clubs, leagues and other key stakeholders.
The call comes amid a wider dispute over the balance of power in global football. In court filings linked to challenges from UEFA, FIFA argued that opposition to its proposals seeks to preserve Europe’s dominant position in the sport.
Union demands wider involvement
FIFPRO Europe said it supports efforts to increase development funding for smaller football federations.
However, it said stakeholders across the game should jointly shape any future solidarity funding system.
“Any future proposal to grow solidarity funding should be built together, through trusted governance, not advanced unilaterally,” it said.
The report also highlighted the strong role of European clubs in the World Cup.
European clubs employed 856 players at the expanded 2026 World Cup. Those players had a combined value of about €16.9 billion ($19.8 billion), representing 94 per cent of the tournament’s total player value.
The study added that European clubs employed all 20 individual award winners from the last five World Cups.
FIFPRO Europe said the figures showed the need to protect football’s “critical infrastructure”.
The union also called for an independent review of FIFA Council executive decision-making. It said the review should ensure that one office cannot advance major changes without proper oversight.
Concern over World Cup revenue
The report further examined how FIFA distributes World Cup revenue.
It found that the share of tournament revenue paid as prize money to participating countries fell to about 7.7 per cent in 2026, from 10.5 per cent in 2006.
That decline came despite strong growth in World Cup revenue.
“Players receive only a fraction of that return, while participating federations rely on it as FIFA’s only performance-based revenue stream,” the report said.
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