FIFA is consulting stakeholders on a plan to require every professional club to keep a homegrown under-21 player on the pitch throughout matches – a move that would transform squad strategy and youth development across global football
FIFA has opened formal consultations on a proposal that would oblige all professional clubs to have at least one homegrown under-20 or under-21 player on the field of play at all times.
The FIFA Council unanimously approved a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders for the regulatory obligation, with a formal proposal due to be submitted to the FIFA Council within the next year, reports the Associated Press.
Sources said the idea was raised at a meeting with the six confederation presidents on Monday evening and received positive backing during the FIFA Council meeting on Tuesday, with the plan described as being aimed at helping the development of young players.
It will now be put to confederations, national associations, leagues, and players’ organisations for feedback before any formal rule is drafted.
FIFA: A rule stricter than anything currently in place
The proposal would represent a significant escalation beyond existing homegrown quota frameworks. Current Champions League rules, administered by UEFA, require that each squad contain at least eight locally trained players within a maximum 25-man list – but impose no obligation on how those players are actually used.
A locally trained player is defined as one developed by the club itself or another club in the same country for at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.
FIFA’s proposal would, if implemented, be a major shift because existing rules relate to squad composition rather than guaranteeing playing time, likely resulting in real on-pitch changes.
A divided Premier League picture
England’s Premier League currently limits clubs to no more than 17 non-homegrown players in a 25-man squad, leaving up to eight slots for locally developed talent – but, as with UEFA’s rules, there is no requirement to actually play them.
The disparity in how Premier League clubs currently approach youth deployment varies significantly at present. Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Manchester United have collectively provided the most Premier League minutes to English under-21 players this season.
At the other end, Leeds United and Burnley have not fielded a single player in that category throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Arsenal‘s Max Dowman last month became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, a moment that illustrated what clubs can produce when development pathways are functioning. But his emergence has been an outlier rather than a trend across the division.
Transfer market consequences
Any redefinition of the homegrown category would carry financial consequences extending well beyond tactics. Sales of homegrown players currently represent pure profit from a Financial Fair Play (FFP) perspective, meaning a modified definition of that categorisation could significantly impact how clubs operate in the transfer market.
Clubs managing tight profit and sustainability positions have, in some cases, leaned on homegrown sales as a compliance mechanism – a route that could narrow or widen depending on how FIFA ultimately defines eligibility under the new framework.
The consultation process is expected to run through 2026 ahead of a formal FIFA Council submission in 2027, with implementation – if approved – likely targeting the 2027-28 European club season at the earliest.
The discussions will also address the definition of a homegrown player in this context, with the aim of encouraging more young players across middle-ranking member associations as well as top clubs to be involved in regular senior football.
