FIFPRO holds South America communications workshop to align union advocacy

FIFPRO and FIFPRO South America held a two-day communications workshop in Asunción, Paraguay, aimed at coordinating how player unions in the region communicate on workplace issues and engage stakeholders across football.The April 15–16 meeting, hosted by Futbolistas Asociados del Paraguay, brought together representatives from FIFPRO’s communications team and the eight unions that make up FIFPRO South America, with the stated goal of sharing practical experience, aligning priorities and building future collaboration.Gamadiel García, general secretary of FIFPRO South America, positioned communications as core infrastructure rather than a support function as unions push for reforms on contracts, payments and working conditions. García said: “Today, South American football faces profound challenges, not only in sporting terms but also in terms of work. Faced with this, communication ceases to be a complement and becomes a strategic tool for advocacy, awareness-raising and transformation.“When we communicate clearly and responsibly, we strengthen the trust of our partners. When we make the real issues of football players visible, we raise awareness among the public and the authorities. And when we work in a coordinated manner between unions, we build a much stronger collective voice, capable of driving structural changes in the football industry.”FIFPRO said the workshop was designed to deepen understanding of the different operating realities across the region, a practical requirement in a market where union capacity, media environments and regulatory leverage can vary significantly by country.Attendees included Alejandro Varsky, FIFPRO communications director, who highlighted the need for unions to keep pace with fast-changing platforms while maintaining a consistent advocacy message that can travel across borders. Varsky said: “The pace at which the communication ecosystem is advancing makes these spaces increasingly necessary. Aligning views and sharing learnings allows us to take better advantage of opportunities and respond to challenges, always with a clear objective: that the voice of the footballer continues to occupy a central place in the conversation.”The agenda combined experience-sharing sessions on day-to-day communications work with discussions on longer-term positioning, with FIFPRO presenting its strategic vision for the region and unions mapping challenges and opportunities tied to media relations and digital channels.Representatives from CONMEBOL and FIFA joined the second day to present on digital communications and media relations, giving unions an additional lens on how confederation and federation communication systems operate around competitions, governance and stakeholder engagement.The meeting also included an update on the development of a new administrative headquarters for FIFPRO South America and the Paraguayan union, a project FIFPRO positioned as part of its regional consolidation and operational expansion.