World Leagues Forum


The World Leagues Forum is an organization representing professional association football leagues that formed in 2016. It currently includes 44 members from five of FIFA's six continental confederations.

History

Executives and representatives from 24 professional football leagues convened the Global Leagues Forum in April 2015 to discuss current issues with the football system and business as a whole. The World Leagues Forum was formed in early 2016 in preparation for the 2016 [FIFA Extraordinary Congress], in which a new FIFA president would be elected. It convened its first meeting on 25 February 2016, in Zürich before the FIFA Congress. The WLF initially comprised 24 member football leagues, but has since expanded to 41 leagues and holds annual meetings that are hosted by members.
In 2018, the group voiced its opposition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to expand the FIFA Club World Cup and implement a global club league.
The WLF established a women's division in 2023, chaired by National [Women's Soccer League] commissioner Jessica Berman.

Members

, the WLF has 45 member leagues and associations from five continental confederations.
;Asian Football Confederation
;Confederation of African Football
;Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
;South American Football Confederation
;Union of European Football Associations

Governance

The World Leagues Forum is governed by a Steering Committee composed of representatives and executives from top member leagues. Its current chairman is Enrique Bonilla of Liga MX. Its two vice chairmen are Don Garber of Major League Soccer and Christian Seifert, the CEO of the Deutsche Fußball Liga.
Its general secretary is Jerome Perlemuter, former General Counsel of the French Football League, who was appointed in April 2017.