FIFA Faces Europe-Wide Class Action Over Transfer Rules
A Dutch advocacy group has launched a sweeping class action lawsuit against FIFA and several football associations, including the KNVB (Dutch FA), challenging longstanding player transfer regulations. The group argues these rules have cost hundreds of thousands of professional players in Europe and the UK billions in lost earnings since 2002. According to research by Compass Lexecon, players may have earned roughly 8% more throughout their careers under fairer mobility terms.
The lawsuit, filed under the Dutch Act on Collective Actions (WAMCA), follows a 2024 European Court ruling involving French midfielder Lassana Diarra. That ruling declared certain FIFA regulations incompatible with European Union law. This new effort is backed by Dupont-Hissel, the same firm behind the landmark Bosman ruling, which transformed football's transfer landscape in the 1990s.