A group of current and former professional footballers are preparing to sue FIFA over the sport’s existing transfer system, in a case that could have massive implications for the global football landscape.
The group, known as Justice for Players (JfP), has filed a class-action lawsuit seeking billions of euros in compensation.
The claim centers on the argument that FIFA’s transfer regulations have unfairly restricted players’ earnings, particularly those who have competed in the United Kingdom or across the European Union.
The lawsuit, filed in the Dutch district court of Midden Nederland, also targets the football associations of France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, who now have until September to respond.
A group of current and former professional footballers are preparing to sue FIFA over the sport’s existing transfer system, in a case that could have massive implications for the global football landscape
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While England's FA is not directly named in the case, the Daily Mail say they've received formal notice of the legal proceedings.
JfP alleges that up to 100,000 players from both the men's and women’s games could be affected by FIFA’s current transfer framework.
According to the group, the lawsuit aims to challenge rules that they say violate European competition and labour laws, particularly regarding players' freedom to move between clubs and countries.
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This legal move follows a major ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) in October 2024, which found aspects of FIFA’s transfer regulations to be in breach of EU law, citing issues with the restriction of free movement and fair competition.
That verdict was reached after the long-running legal battle involving former France international Lassana Diarra, who had been sanctioned by FIFA in 2014 after terminating his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow.
Diarra was ordered to pay €10.5million in damages and handed a 15-month suspension, effectively preventing a transfer to Belgian club Charleroi.
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Lassana Diarra was sanctioned by FIFA back in 2014 after terminating his contract at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow
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He later countersued, and the CJEU ruled in his favour, branding the governing body’s rules incompatible with EU standards.
Diarra's legal team, led by prominent Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont, is now advising the JfP group.
Dupont is well-known for his role in the landmark Bosman ruling of 1995, which revolutionised European football by granting players the right to leave their clubs on a free transfer once their contracts had expired.
Among those leading the JfP initiative is Franco Baldini, a former England assistant manager and football executive with experience as a player, agent, and club director.
"As a former professional footballer, agent and someone who has worked in football in various managerial capacities, I have had first-hand experience of how much control and power FIFA has over the players," Baldini said.
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Franco Baldini is part of the group taking legal action against Fifa
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"So I am very proud to be part of Justice For Players and to be part of something that could help change the existing system and make football more inclusive and more sustainable."
Should the lawsuit succeed, it could usher in radical reform, potentially giving players greater autonomy, including the right to terminate their contracts under certain conditions.