A group of 100,000 current and former footballers have joined forces in a bid to sue FIFA for billion of pounds. The Justice for Players foundation argues that the governing body’s current transfer rules are at best restrictive and at worst illegal – costing their members billions collectively over the course of their careers.
And so they want compensating… with a class action suit against FIFA to be filed in the Dutch court system. If the panel of judges give a verdict in favour of Justice for Players, it could mean a ten-figure payout and financial ruin for FIFA.
What Is the Justice for Players Lawsuit?
Justice for Players is a foundation set up in the Netherlands designed to ‘fight for the rights of former and current professional football players’ against what they consider to be unlawful transfer rules instigated by FIFA. The the Justice for Players manifesto reads:
The time has now come to take action in order to ensure that players are afforded the same right to freedom of movement as other professionals across the EU and to limit the power of FIFA and the national football associations.
According to the foundation, professional footballers have earned on average 8% less than what they otherwise would have but for FIFA’s ‘restrictive’ transfer policies. They want recompense for their membership group, which exceeds 100,000 players.
Class Action Suit
Their class action suit will be filed against FIFA as well as a number of national football associations, including those of Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s not thought that the English Football Association has been named as a defendant, however, there is a mechanism via which they can be added to the lawsuit at a later date.
Although specific numbers aren’t mentioned, a letter penned by the foundation’s legal team and sent to FIFA is known to have detailed a ‘multi billion’ claim, which is confirmed by figures collected by Compass Lexecon, an economic group which claims that players have missed out on 8% of their potential earnings over the years. With the class action suit now officially residing in the Dutch court system, FIFA and the five national football associations named as defendants have until September 2025 to respond to the motion.
Jean-Louis Dupon
If this all sounds rather fanciful, here’s something to ponder: one of the lawyers advising Justice for Players is Jean-Louis Dupont. The Belgian may not be a household name, but for professional footballers he should be considered a deity – it was he, acting on behalf of Jean-Marc Bosman, who changed the face of football transfers and contracts forever back in 1995.
Dupont argued that footballers should have the same employment rights as any other worker in the EU, including the right to the freedom of movement. The Court of Justice of the European Union agreed, delivering the verdict that led to the Bosman ruling – that is, players freely moving from one club to another at the end of their contracts.
How Has Lassana Diarra Changed the Face of Football?
Readers of a certain vintage may just remember Lassana Diarra. He is the French midfielder that played more than 40 times for Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth in the mid to late 2000s, as well as winning La Liga and Ligue 1 titles with Real Madrid and PSG respectively. But Diarra’s contribution goes far beyond his endeavours on the pitch, with his involvement in a 2024 court case proving pivotal in laying the foundation for the Justice for Players suit.
Diarra’s Lawsuit Against FIFA
He sued FIFA after the governing body refused to sanction his move to Belgian side Charleroi back in 2016. That stemmed back to a prior case involving Lokomotiv Moscow, who claimed that Diarra breached his contract with them in 2014 when he left the club and refused to play for them at the end of his deal.
Initially, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the verdict that Diarra had breached his Lokomotiv contract, so FIFA fined the Frenchman the best part of £8 million and suspended him from football for 15 months – scuppering his subsequent move to Charleroi.
Diarra then launched a counter claim against FIFA, claiming that their transfer rules were unlawful and prevented true freedom of movement – as documented by the Bosman case almost 20 years prior. The matter was passed to the Court of Justice of the European Union, as Bosman’s case was before, and they agreed that FIFA’s transfer regulations prevented Diarra from activating his right to work.
FIFA Forced to Pay Diarra
In a humiliating comedown, FIFA was forced to pay damages to Diarra, issue an apology and amend its rules according to the judge’s verdict – limiting the power clubs have to compensation payments when their players terminate their contracts ahead of their scheduled end date.
However Fifpro, the professional footballers’ union, has at the time of writing rejected the proposed changes. It’s these two cases, with successful arguments in favour of Diarra and Bosman, that is giving Justice for Players confidence that their own suit will prevail… costing FIFA billions.
What Is FIFA’s Financial Position?
Let’s imagine that Justice for Players win their case against FIFA and the national football associations, leaving the governing body with a rather sizable bill for damages. According to the chair of the Justice for Players foundation, Lucia Melcherts, FIFA’s ‘finances could take a huge hit’ at the conclusion of this legal battle – suggesting that no mercy will be shown. Will FIFA have the money to pay for the damages?
Although they’re not always willing to reveal details of their finances, it’s known that between 2019 and 2022, they recorded revenues of $7.5 billion (£5.6 billion) – thanks largely to the money-making vehicle that is the World Cup. So cash is not in short supply, but if the Justice for Players case does take them for billions, FIFA will need to find ways to make more money in a hurry.
How would they do that? Don’t be surprised if this legal battle sparks further conversations about the expansion of FIFA sanctioned competitions. Could we see the World Cup increased to 64 nations? Could the Club World Cup become a biennial tournament? It makes you wonder if while thousands of players will benefit from this new landmark court case, if the sport of football as a whole could suffer as a consequence.
