FIFA accused of ‘abusive conduct’ over women’s football calendar in Europe

What the report says

European Leagues has broadened a complaint it filed with the European Commission in October 2024, adding claims that FIFA has acted abusively toward women’s football in Europe. The umbrella group, whose members include the Premier League and the Scottish Professional Football League, says FIFA’s decisions on the international match calendar and related regulations have harmed women’s leagues and could threaten their financial stability and player welfare.

According to Al Jazeera, the dispute centers on FIFA’s 2023 announcement of the men’s international calendar and the wider role FIFA plays as both regulator and organizer of competitions. European Leagues says that same structural conflict also affects the women’s game. The group formally welcomed 14 women’s leagues in June, including England’s Women’s Super League and the Scottish Women’s Premier League, before extending the case to cover the women’s calendar.

FIFA has been approached for comment, and Al Jazeera notes that the body has previously defended its calendar-setting process as the result of consultation with stakeholders. It has also argued that it can set the framework for its own competitions if they fit within the agreed calendar structure.

The complaint lands amid wider scrutiny of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has faced criticism over an abandoned plan to attract private investment for a company linked to FIFA competitions. European Leagues says that controversy reinforces concerns about conflicts between FIFA’s regulatory role and its commercial interests.