FIFA Explores Rule Requiring Clubs to Always Play a Homegrown Young Player

FIFA has initiated discussions on a potential regulation that would require professional clubs to keep at least one homegrown young player on the field for the duration of matches, the governing body announced after a FIFA Council meeting.

The council agreed to develop a formal proposal within the next year following global consultations with stakeholders. FIFA's stated objective is to increase playing opportunities for young players developed by clubs, who are often sidelined in favor of bought or imported talent.

"FIFA aims for 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," the organization said.

If adopted, the rule would be stricter than existing regulations in major competitions such as the Champions League, which require a quota of homegrown and club-trained players on squad lists but impose no obligation on starting lineup selections or actual playing time.

Under current Champions League rules, clubs must include at least eight "locally trained players" in their 25-player squads. UEFA, the competition's organizer, defines a locally trained player as one who has been nurtured 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.