European Leagues Expands FIFA Complaint to Women's Football Calendar

European Leagues has expanded its legal complaint against FIFA to include the women's international match calendar and related regulatory decisions, BBC Sport reported on Tuesday. The organisation, working alongside global players' union Fifpro, alleges that the governing body's use of its regulatory authority in the women's game amounts to abusive conduct under European competition law.

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The case began in October 2024, when European Leagues filed a complaint with the European Commission focused on the men's game and player welfare. That submission alleged FIFA had abused a dominant position by announcing a new men's international calendar in 2023 without adequately involving national leagues and player unions in the decision-making process.

European Leagues now says the same underlying concerns apply to women's football. Its latest submission contends that FIFA's dual position as both a global regulator and an organiser of competitions creates a conflict of interest. The group alleges FIFA uses that position to advance its own competitions and commercial interests at the expense of domestic women's leagues. These remain allegations for the European Commission to assess, rather than established findings.

The association also argues that FIFA's decisions put the growth and financial sustainability of professional women's leagues at risk and could affect player health and wellbeing. It has called on the European Commission to ensure European Union law is respected and to prevent the future structure of the women's professional game from being determined unilaterally by FIFA.

The broadened complaint follows an expansion of European Leagues' membership. In June, the organisation added 14 women's divisions, including England's Women's Super League and the Scottish Women's Premier League. Across its wider membership, it represents 53 professional divisions and 1,328 clubs in 34 countries, with the Premier League, English Football League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga among its members.

BBC Sport said FIFA had been approached for comment, but its report included no response from the governing body. The next step now rests with the European Commission, which must consider the expanded submission and the competition-law claims behind it. No timetable for a decision or further proceedings was reported.