The players’ association has challenged the French state’s failure to protect professional footballers from health and safety risks.
Published May 8, 2026
Footballers’ union FIFPRO has hailed a “landmark” legal victory after the European rights group agreed to investigate whether the French state failed to comply with labor standards for professional footballers.
The unanimous decision by the European Committee of Social Rights in March marks the first time that an athlete’s association has successfully brought a collective claim under the European Social Charter. This would pave the way for an investigation into whether France is failing to ensure adequate working conditions for professional athletes, including minors.
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FIFPRO explains that the heart of the dispute lies in the French government’s failure to protect professional footballers from the health and safety risks posed by a congested and expanding international competition calendar, which it says is caused by FIFA’s unilateral decisions regarding the format of the competition.
The first edition of the rebranded and expanded FIFA Club World Cup drew particular criticism from across the game when it took place last year.
The French government had asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing that private sports organizations such as FIFA and the French Football Federation, not the state, were to blame for alleged labor law violations.
The Committee rejected this objection and confirmed that governments continue to have a legal responsibility to ensure that fundamental labor rights are upheld within their jurisdictions, regardless of whether private entities control the industry.
FIFPRO Europe, which is supporting the French National Federation of Professional Footballers (UNFP) in the case, said the decision was a “signal case” for the industry.
It added that the complaint highlights how governing bodies around the world “often ignore national labor standards regarding break times and collective bargaining.”
FIFPRO Europe has confirmed its full support to UNFP in future legal proceedings and called on other European countries to hold football authorities accountable for the “systemic failure” of putting commercial interests ahead of player safety.
“France is not alone; many other countries are in a similar situation, where minimum standards for working hours, rest periods, occupational health and collective bargaining are structurally undermined by decisions taken at the global level,” it said in a statement.
