European Leagues tackles FIFA over women's match calendar in expanded EU complaint

Sept 8 : European Leagues widened its attack on FIFA's control over football scheduling on Tuesday, extending its European Commission complaint to include what it calls FIFA's "abusive conduct" regarding the women's International Match Calendar.

The body, which represents professional domestic leagues and more than 1,300 clubs across Europe, formally submitted the expanded complaint to the European Commission's competition watchdog, arguing that FIFA's dual role as both governing body and competition organiser creates a conflict of interest that violates EU competition law.

The expanded complaint follows the same pattern as European Leagues' previous challenge over men's football scheduling, alleging FIFA abuses its regulatory position to benefit its own competitions at the expense of domestic leagues.

"As in men's football, FIFA consistently uses its regulatory power to favour its own competition and commercial interests to the detriment of women's football and of European national leagues," it said in a statement.

"The recent controversy surrounding the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative has further exposed this structural conflict and vividly illustrates how profit-driven motives taint FIFA's regulatory decisions and decision-making processes.

"The case law of the European Court of Justice makes clear that, to continue serving as football's global governing body, FIFA must exercise its regulatory functions in a way that is transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate so as to neutralise this conflict of interest."

FIFA 'DISAPPOINTED' BY EUROPEAN LEAGUES' APPROACH

FIFA said it was "disappointed" by European Leagues' approach, adding that the women's International Match Calendar for 2026-2029 had been