FIFA has opened talks on making it mandatory for all professional teams to field at least one homegrown young player throughout a match.
The FIFA Council agreed late on Tuesday to work towards a formal plan within a year, following global consultation with stakeholders.
The move is aimed at increasing playing opportunities for young players developed by clubs, especially at teams that usually rely on bought and imported talent.
FIFA said it is targeting “a regulatory obligation that senior club teams are obliged to always have at least one homegrown player from the Under-20 or Under-21 category on the field of play.”
Such a rule would be stricter than existing regulations in national and international club competitions, including the Champions League, which require a quota of homegrown and club-trained players in squad lists.
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However, those rules do not make it compulsory for clubs to select such players in their starting line-ups or use them during matches.
Champions League rules require each squad to reserve at least eight places for “locally trained players” in a maximum squad of 25.
A locally trained player is defined by Champions League organiser UEFA as one developed by the club itself or by another club in the same country for at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
