Zurich, 20 October 2026 – The World Leagues Association (WLA) welcomes the decision of the FIFA Council meeting of 15 October to review FIFA’s governance. There is a need for fundamental change in the decision-making of international football and the WLA urges FIFA to reflect in its governance the contribution of national leagues to football development.
The success of the World Cup and the ability of FIFA to generate revenues for its 211 federations are the result of a collective effort of the football industry. During the World Cup, national leagues suspend their competitions and their clubs release 1,250 players. While representing their country, these players are paid by their clubs, whose revenues are largely generated through national league competitions. This collective and solidarity effort that allows the redistribution of resources worldwide must be recognised in FIFA's governance.
In addition, FIFA has dramatically expanded its competitions in recent years, while national leagues organise their competitions within existing calendar constraints. These developments impact the sustainability of national competitions, the 4,000 clubs and 130,000 professional players that participate in them. All these clubs and players form the foundation of football and of its development.
For several years, the World Leagues Association has called for a transparent, structured and inclusive process that gives national professional leagues a role in decisions concerning the international match calendar and the future of football.
The World Leagues Association calls on FIFA and the Confederations to involve the WLA in the development of this new framework.
