FIFPRO Asia/Oceania leaders gather in Sydney with focus on building effective partnerships

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania union representatives from around the region convened in Sydney, Australia, for its annual General Assembly, with the gathering emphasising the power and potential of partnerships between players, confederations and governing bodies to shape the future of football.

The General Assembly, hosted by FIFPRO Asia/Oceania and Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA), brought together representatives from FIFPRO Asia/Oceania’s 10 member unions, observer unions, Australian football stakeholders, FIFPRO Secretary General Alex Phillips and FIFPRO Africa Secretary General Kgosana Masaseng. 
 
Current and former players, including Australian Jonathan Aspropotamitis who has played in the Australian A-League and K-League 1, Western Sydney Wanderers Japanese forward Hiroshi Ibusuki and former Indonesian goalkeeper Yolanda Krismonica Wijayanti, were in attendance. 

The Assembly was held concurrently with the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup (WAC) in Australia, representing an important moment to discuss the impact and importance of collaboration among players, leagues, and football's governing bodies. 
 
At the event, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania leadership reiterated recent player-driven initiatives to support its members, including:  

• a pre-tournament research report outlining the commercial opportunity of the WAC, supported by a letter signed by players from seven of the 12 competing teams inviting the AFC into a genuine partnership;
• player support services and a player-voted Team of the Tournament initiative for the WAC;
• ongoing support of Indian footballers during its recent professional football league crisis;
• an important cooperation agreement with FIFPRO Africa; and strengthened player representation on FIFPRO’s Global Player Council, through the appointments of Chris Wood, Jackson Irvine, Tameka Yallop, Rizky Ridho, Ashalata Devi Loitongbam, Yui Hasegawa and Wataru Endo. 

"Across the past 12 months, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has continued to make important progress in supporting and representing thousands of professional footballers across a diverse and complex region," FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Secretary General Shoko Tsuji said.

"Despite challenges, Asia and Oceania's players are prepared to engage actively as partners in the game’s governance. To address many of the challenges players face, we need an ecosystem that views each stakeholder as interconnected and central to the overall game’s success.

"Women's football is the fastest-growing frontier in Asia and Oceania. However, the gap in standards remains wide, with many of the players in this tournament earning less than USD 30,000 annually and fewer than 40 percent being full-time professionals.  
 
"We firmly believe the Women's Asian Cup, which continues to break and set new records, represents a crucial opportunity to transform the game throughout this region, but that can only be achieved through a genuine partnership with the AFC."

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania President Beau Busch echoed the opportunity to build partnerships across the region.

"FIFPRO Asia/Oceania remains focused on building the capacity of player associations across this region and the pursuit of strategic partnerships with the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation. We believe those partnerships will deliver better outcomes for the players and the game," Busch said.

"By establishing effective partnerships, we can better safeguard players’ interests, promote a sustainable football ecosystem and create growth opportunities.

"This General Assembly has served to further illustrate the challenges facing our industry, and the immense opportunities, which we are determined to play an proactive role in realising." 

The Assembly included a panel featuring Football Australia Chair Anter Isaac and Secretary to the Board of the Women's Leagues Forum, Moya Dodd, exploring the theme of partnership in football, including the influence of world-leading collective bargaining agreements for the Matildas and Socceroos, and partnerships between leagues, clubs and players.

Both Isaac and Dodd reiterated the importance of building positive partnerships and building sustainable frameworks that support players' rights and interests.

Providing further international context, Alex Phillips highlighted recent developments regarding FIFPRO's recognition by UEFA and CONMEBOL.

"These agreements demonstrate what can be achieved through positive collaboration, and we believe these types of partnerships are essential to the modern game’s success,” said Phillips. 
 
"As discussions continue in Sydney, the commitment from players and unions to forge a future based on collaboration, transparency, and shared responsibility is clear."

The Assembly also featured an overview of the PFA’s ‘Ready for Takeoff: The Players’ Vision for the A-League Women’, and best practices in player health and safety, including extreme weather, concussion in elite sport, and anti-discrimination, including FIFPRO Asia/Oceania’s anti-Asian racism campaign.