FIFA/transfers: adoption of a new regulatory framework to come into force on 1 January 2027

"Following several months of fruitful negotiations between FIFA, player representatives (FIFPRO), clubs (EFC) and leagues (WLA), and with the constructive participation of CONMEBOL and UEFA, the Bureau of the Council has today approved the new version of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), together with amendments to the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), the FIFA Governance Regulations (FGR), and the Procedural Rules governing the Football Tribunal," the international federation announced on 10 June 2026, on the eve of the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup. "The main changes will enter into force on 1 January 2027."

Among the new provisions (document available to download), four are highlighted in particular by the EFC:
• the protected period during which contractual stability is enforced will be extended to four years for contracts signed by players up to the age of 23;
• clubs will now be able to offer five-year contracts to club-trained players at the start of their professional careers, subject to national law and CBAs and within a pre-defined regulatory…