FIFA is contending with a fresh wave of legal trouble after European Leagues broadened its ongoing complaint against the governing body to now include allegations of mistreatment within women’s football.

Citing a BBC report, the organisation, which represents 53 professional leagues and over 1,300 clubs spanning 34 countries, has submitted an extended filing to the European Commission targeting FIFA’s handling of the women’s international match calendar and other related policy decisions.

This builds on an earlier complaint lodged back in October 2024 by European Leagues alongside FIFPRO and LaLiga, which accused FIFA of exploiting its dominant market position by altering the international calendar without proper consultation with national leagues and player unions.

The newly expanded complaint mirrors similar grievances but applies them specifically to the women’s game, with European Leagues warning that FIFA’s decisions could undermine the financial stability and long-term growth of women’s professional football while putting player welfare at risk.

The body further claimed that FIFA operates with an inherent conflict of interest, functioning simultaneously as football’s regulatory authority and a competition organiser, a dual role it says allows FIFA to prioritise its own commercial ventures over the interests of women’s football and Europe’s domestic leagues. European Leagues has called on the European Commission to intervene and uphold EU law.

This development lands amid mounting scrutiny of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose leadership has come under fire following the collapse of a controversial investment proposal earlier this year, further complicating his push for re-election in 2027 as opposition from major football confederations continues to grow.