The top European leagues, including the Premier League, and global players’ union Fifpro will launch legal action against world governing body Fifa over its “abuse of dominance” in the game.
The European Leagues, which represents 39 leagues and 1,130 clubs in 33 countries, says it is filing a complaint to the European Commission to protect the welfare of players.
It comes following growing pressure from leagues and player unions, including the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), over the number of games added to the calendar and the impact on players.
A Fifpro statement said the international calendar is “now beyond saturation”, “unsustainable for national leagues” and a “risk for the health of players”.
It added: “Fifa’s decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests, neglected its responsibilities as a governing body, and harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players.
“Legal action is now the only responsible step for European leagues and player unions to protect football, its ecosystem and its workforce.”
The statement said Fifa has “consistently refused to include national leagues and player unions in its decision-making process”, having been urged to develop a clear and transparent process regarding the international match calendar.
The European Leagues includes the English Football League, Scottish Professional Football League, Serie A and the Bundesliga. La Liga is not a member but is joining the action.
In May Fifa rejected a claim that Fifpro and the World Leagues Association were not consulted over plans to host a 32-team Club World Cup.
Manchester City and Chelsea are among the 12 European representatives at the expanded Club World Cup, to be held in the USA between 15 June and 13 July 2025.