FIFA is holding a congress in Vancouver, and during the proceedings, a proposal has emerged that could change football forever. The procedure has indeed started to require all club teams worldwide to have at least one Under 20 or Under 21 player, who has also been developed in the youth sector, on the field for all minutes of all official matches. No, you haven’t misunderstood: FIFA could impose on all clubs to field, from the first minute of each match until the final whistle, at least one player raised in the youth academy who has not yet turned 21. This would be a groundbreaking revolution, unprecedented before, that would disrupt market planning, the approach to the game, and even the tactical and formation choices of all clubs worldwide.
According to what is reported by the Times, citing internal FIFA sources, the project aims to “encourage the development of young players.” It has already garnered quite a bit of support within the organization (the approval came “unanimously,” FIFA writes in an official statement). After this very initial phase, the process requires that the proposal be forwarded to other football institutions for possible discussions or integrations, and then be presented and voted on – in its final form – at next year’s FIFA council. In the coming months, therefore, national federations, continental confederations (UEFA, AFC, CONMEBOL, CAF, CONCACAF, and OFC), leagues, and players’ unions will be consulted.
Currently, looking at European football, the only “similar” regulations to this proposed FIFA rule are those related to the so-called UEFA Lists, which are the lists of players that each club makes eligible to play in continental cups: teams are required to include at least eight players raised in a national youth sector (Italian for Serie A teams, Spanish for La Liga teams, and so on) in this list, of which four must be developed in their own academy. If there are no players in the squad who meet these requirements, the slots remain empty. Serie A, to give another example close to us, has adopted a regulation very similar to that imposed by UEFA, but then – just as happens in European cups – coaches are not required to make formation choices considering age limits or the developmental path of those on the field. This is why, if it were actually approved, this new FIFA rule would mark a before and after in the history of football.