New AIF players union launches as FIFA and FIFPRO dispute deepens
A new players’ body, the International Association of Footballers, has launched in Madrid as FIFA and FIFPRO remain in a widening dispute over player welfare and decision-making power.
A new global union for footballers has been launched in Madrid, promising to “give a voice to footballers” as the relationship between FIFA and FIFPRO remains strained over player welfare and the international calendar.The International Association of Footballers (AIF) is being led by David Aganzo, head of Spain’s players’ union AFE and a former FIFPRO president.Aganzo said: “We have the strength to fight and give a voice to footballers. Founding this union was our duty because we are people with values. The word ‘independence’ is fundamental for AIF, just as loyalty is key when negotiating. Footballers must make their own decisions, not accept unilateral ones.”AIF launched with four founding unions, with governance set to include representatives from organisations in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland.The new group emerges after Aganzo ended AFE’s affiliation with FIFPRO in February and signalled plans to create an alternative global representative structure.FIFPRO, which says it is mandated by 70 national player associations representing more than 60,000 footballers, described AIF as lacking legitimacy and alleged the initiative was driven by personal ambition.FIFPRO said: “The concept announced in Madrid by its current president appears nothing more than a speculative attempt to boost his own standing through a group which lacks the fundamental legitimacy to represent professional footballers globally.“The evidence shows his concept is driven by personal motives rather than a mandate from players around the world.”FIFPRO also claimed Aganzo has engaged with groups it says do not meet basic standards of representation, including bodies it alleges are too closely linked to governing institutions or have faced governance issues.The split lands amid an ongoing confrontation between FIFPRO and FIFA that intensified in 2024 when FIFPRO initiated a legal complaint alleging FIFA failed to adequately consult on the international fixture schedule and abused a dominant position under competition law.FIFA is also the subject of a formal complaint to the European Commission filed by FIFPRO’s European division and the European Leagues group, which challenges FIFA’s governance and stakeholder consultation.Aganzo’s positioning has differed from FIFPRO’s approach, after he attended a FIFA meeting in Morocco last December where FIFA said a “consensus” had been reached on player welfare issues.FIFPRO was not invited to that meeting and has not endorsed the measures FIFA subsequently announced, adding to tensions over who is recognised as the legitimate voice of players in global policy discussions.FIFA said it had been made aware of AIF’s creation and reiterated an engagement stance tied to legitimacy standards.A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation remained “committed to open and constructive engagement with football stakeholders that uphold core principles, including representativeness.”The launch creates a new variable in calendar and welfare negotiations, with potential implications for how broadcasters, clubs and leagues assess labour stability and consultation risk as FIFA expands events and match inventory.