FIFPRO and player unions help negotiate updated ILO labour guidelines for global sport

FIFPRO and national player union experts have participated in an International Labour Organization Meeting of Experts in Geneva that agreed a new edition of ILO sectoral guidelines for the professional sports sector.The talks brought together workers’ representatives, employers and governments, with athlete unions participating alongside the World Players Association and UNI Global Union as part of a wider push to treat elite sport more explicitly as a workplace with enforceable labour standards.FIFPRO Secretary General Alex Phillips said: “The guidelines were first developed six years ago and we’re working with governments and employer organisations to update them.“Things have moved on in the last few years. There have been many court decisions which are going in favour of athletes, not just in football, not just in the European Union but in different places and in different forums.”The revised guidelines focus on applying fundamental principles and rights at work in sport, while also addressing the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment affecting professional athletes.Once finalised through ILO process, the guidelines are due to be submitted to the ILO Governing Body at its 358th Session in November 2026, positioning the document as a reference point for policy-makers and sports bodies seeking alignment with international labour standards.The update builds on earlier ILO work on decent work in sport and follows growing scrutiny of athlete working conditions, including contract enforcement, disciplinary rules, movement restrictions and scheduling pressures.Key themes discussed by delegates included formal recognition of athletes as workers, freedom of association, and the right to collective bargaining, with specific attention on how sports rules and competition regulations can shape employment conditions in practice.The expert meeting also widened its scope into operational risk areas that have become more prominent across the industry, including occupational health and safety, match scheduling and climate-related risks, as well as the relationship between transfer systems and athletes’ freedom of employment.Emerging topics such as the use of athlete data and artificial intelligence were also on the agenda, reflecting the rapid growth of technology-driven performance and commercial models and the questions they raise around consent, control and workplace protections.Phillips said: “Most professional footballers have short careers, short contracts and unstable working conditions. They can face many challenges, including contracts not being respected or a lack of protection at work. These guidelines should help improve labour standards for those players.”Carlos Gonzalez Puche, executive director of Colombian player union ACOLFUTPRO, said: “Here we are not only representing football – FIFPRO and national player union delegates helped to negotiate a document that can benefit professional athletes around the world.”Puche also pointed to the role of ILO conventions in supporting collective bargaining rights in markets where formal structures are limited, as player unions seek stronger leverage in domestic negotiations and sport governance.The guidelines are not binding law, but they are designed to provide a common framework that governments, federations, leagues and clubs can use when setting rules, designing competitions and negotiating collective agreements in an industry facing increasing legal, welfare and reputational pressure.