FENAPAF rejoins FIFPRO to strengthen independent global voice of players

• Brazilian player union FENAPAF rejoins FIFPRO as special observer
• Agreement brings Brazil back into international player union framework
• Brazil has the largest number of professional footballers worldwide

Brazil’s FENAPAF (Federação Nacional dos Atletas Profissionais de Futebol) has rejoined FIFPRO as a Special Observer, reconnecting South America’s biggest country to the global player union structure.

An agreement was announced by both organisations in Rio de Janeiro today, bringing the largest group of professional players globally back into the international union framework.

FENAPAF represents player unions across 17 states in Brazil, covering 10,000 professional footballers in Brazil and around the world. Brazil is the country with the largest number of players globally, making its presence within the international landscape particularly relevant.

The announcement was made in the presence of FIFPRO President Sergio Marchi, board members Fernando Revilla and Joaquim Evangelista, along with FENAPAF President Jorge Henrique Pereira Borçato and other representatives of FENAPAF.

FENAPAF will participate in FIFPRO as a Special Observer, a status that provides a structured framework for engagement while ensuring alignment with the organisation’s principles and standards.

This development further reinforces FIFPRO’s position as the global independent voice of football players and strengthens its regional representativeness through the FIFPRO South America division.

Sergio Marchi (FIFPRO President)

"This is a positive development for players in Brazil and for the global union movement. Brazil is a key country in world football and ensuring that its players are connected to a strong, representative and internationally recognized structure is important.

"This is a step towards working within a global framework that is built on legitimacy, representation and shared principles. In a context where the landscape of player representation is evolving, maintaining unity and clarity around how players are represented at international level is critical to protecting their interests effectively."

Jorge Henrique Pereira Borçato (FENAPAF President)

"Rejoining FIFPRO represents a significant moment for professional footballers in Brazil. We believe in the value of a strong, united and global voice for players, and FIFPRO plays that role in representing and defending their interests worldwide. 

"This partnership allows us to reconnect players in Brazil within that international structure and enables them to again contribute to its future."