Sergio Marchi: "We need dialogue between all stakeholders in football"

The year 2026 has only just begun, yet it already promises to be pivotal. The World Cup will once again capture the world’s attention, along with the emotions and dreams of countless footballers. For some, it will represent the pinnacle of their careers. For many others, it will be a defining moment even without stepping onto the pitch, as contracts, schedules, health, job security and rights are shaped far from the spotlight.

FIFPRO President Sergio Marchi speaks about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the global footballers’ union in a World Cup year.

FIFPRO.org: Sergio, we have started a special year with the arrival of a new edition of the World Cup. What does this moment mean for FIFPRO and for footballers around the world?

Sergio Marchi: It is a very special and wonderful year because the World Cup is the dream of every footballer. From the very beginning, you dream about it: being called up and taking part in the most important sporting event in the world. There is nothing like it.

As FIFPRO, the message is to enjoy it to the fullest. To experience it in the best possible way. At the same time – and this must also be said – we have a responsibility to reflect on player care: workloads and the growing number of matches threaten the balance needed for the World Cup to remain what it should be.

Could you elaborate on this?

I mentioned this directly to the FIFA president in an interview we had in January last year. I asked him which he considered the best World Cup of modern times, and which he thought was the best final. He said Qatar and the Argentina-France final. I replied that this was because players arrived in the middle of the season, rested, with a match load less than 40 percent of what they usually carry into other World Cups. That has to be taken into account.

I’ve discussed it with many players as well. The 2022 tournament delivered a great World Cup and a great final because players arrived mentally and physically refreshed.

The commercial power of the World Cup has been mentioned a lot. Would you say that footballers get a fair share of the profits?

When it comes to the World Cup, a player is least concerned about financial reward. Playing is the dream of a lifetime. Yet players are the ones who receive the least in direct terms – and indirectly, almost nothing.

We should review the distribution of the value generated during those four or five weeks of competition for elite players. Their presence at a World Cup is also the result of a collective journey, built by thousands of players across different competitions who make it possible for the best to reach that stage. I believe the money generated by the industry is not shared evenly. This is not a criticism, but an objective observation. I hope that, at some point, we can discuss it for the overall good of the game.

With all this in mind, what is the most important challenge for this year, and what role should FIFPRO play in this context?

The fundamental challenge is to make the competition as fair as possible, ensuring all players arrive with an acceptable workload and adequate rest. We know the current calendar does not allow for that.

This is a broad discussion that involves all sectors of football, much like the climate debate. We have already seen this in the Club World Cup. We need to analyse more carefully the timing of matches, as well as factors such as heat and hydration – not only for players, but also for coaches, referees and supporters. Football belongs to everyone, not to one person or one sector alone. I would like to invite open dialogue among all stakeholders so that we can find common ground and make this festival even better than it already is.

It is natural that the World Cup is in the spotlight, but the vast majority of professional footballers live in a very different reality. What are the main problems they are facing this year?

It is important to celebrate football’s biggest festival, but we must also take care of the many players competing around the world who face serious challenges. For example, the failure to honour contracts, which is a form of economic violence against players and their families. Many players have no health coverage or social security, no contracts lasting at least a year, and live with constant uncertainty, often without receiving their salaries on time. We are talking about more than 50 percent of the world’s footballers.

I could share thousands of stories of players who are not paid, who play for six months of the year and receive wages for only two. This is the 21st century. There is a lack of oversight – or controls that are simply too weak.

This has to be resolved. We need to work together, and that means bringing FIFA, the confederations and the clubs to the table to develop better tools. If football overcomes these challenges, the game will ultimately be stronger for it.

How important is open dialogue between all industry stakeholders in overcoming these difficulties?

Football is a globalised and highly dynamic industry in which we all have a role to play: clubs, leagues, players, confederations and FIFA. We need the maturity and openness to listen to one another, which does not always happen. From our position as players, we can contribute many perspectives that are often undervalued in other sectors.

For example, football owes a debt to the many players who never achieve visibility or recognition, yet are just as essential to the game as any other figure. They also sustain the industry. For this reason, one of the collective challenges for all stakeholders is to develop a system of universal compensation at the end of every player’s career. The industry has the financial capacity to do this and, beyond the economic aspect, there is a moral responsibility to move in this direction.

What can FIFPRO bring to such discussions?

FIFPRO is a unique organisation because it is often the first place a player turns when facing a problem. The union is the one that supports, protects and helps resolve those issues. Of all the stakeholders in football, we are the ones with the clearest and most direct understanding of what is happening in players’ lives.

We are on the ground every day, speaking with players, their families and their children. This gives us first-hand insight which, when shared with other sectors of the game, has the power to improve the entire industry.

As the only organisation representing professional footballers globally, what message do you want to convey to them this year?

The most important message is unity. Throughout the history of trade unionism, rights have been won through unity and collective action. We must continue to fight, to work, and to call for the involvement of all key stakeholders. We need our voices to be heard so that other sectors listen carefully and help make the best decisions for the good of the game.

Commitment, participation and speaking with one voice – that is what we need to achieve real and lasting progress.