FIFPRO Europe joins UEFA Executive Committee

• UEFA Congress votes to add FIFPRO Europe representative to Executive Committee
• FIFPRO Europe’s David Terrier will be first player representative with UEFA voting rights
• Development recognises footballers must be involved with decisions affecting them

FIFPRO Europe has joined UEFA’s Executive Committee, a landmark development that recognises players must be involved in key decisions affecting the game, from health and working conditions, to the overall direction of football in Europe. It further confirms the value of their voice in shaping the sport’s future.

David Terrier, the current FIFPRO Europe president, becomes the first player representative with voting rights in UEFA’s top decision-making body in a development approved today at the UEFA Congress.

The move further strengthens the relationship between FIFPRO Europe and UEFA, building on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024.

The memorandum provides formal mutual recognition of each other’s organisations, with FIFPRO Europe and its member player associations recognised as the official representatives of professional footballers in Europe. Following this agreement, David Terrier joined the UEFA Executive Committee in an advisory capacity last year in preparation for becoming FIFPRO Europe’s representative.

FIFPRO Europe represents more than 35,000 professional footballers, both men and women, through 36 affiliated national unions. Among its current priorities are introducing workload safeguards for elite-level players, accelerating the professionalisation of women’s football, and negotiating collectively agreed transfer rules following the European Court of Justice’s ruling in the case of Lassana Diarra.

FIFPRO Europe President David Terrier said: "European football has today made an important stride towards fair and inclusive governance. Players will no longer be outside the room when decisions affecting them and the European game are made.

"By including FIFPRO Europe in its governance structure, UEFA is leading by example among regional football confederations. This strengthens trust and stability among stakeholders and is a positive development towards the implementation of collective agreements that offer a fair and sustainable way to regulate professional football.

"I look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with UEFA and President Aleksander Čeferin, and to working with my fellow UEFA Executive Committee members on decisions that serve European football’s best interests."

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "Players are a central part of our game, and their voice deserves to be heard at the highest level. 

"Welcoming FIFPRO Europe and David Terrier into the UEFA ExCo is a logical and positive step that reflects our commitment to inclusive and representative governance."