The world governing body, FIFA, has struck a landmark deal with the global players' union, FIFPRO, meaning players will be represented when major decisions affecting the game are made.

Faced with a number of separate legal claims around player welfare, FIFA has agreed a memorandum of understanding with FIFA Pro, which it says "marks [a] paradigm shift in governance of professional football, with transfer system and player welfare standards".

For the first time, Fifpro will have a veto over key areas of the game's governance and observer access with speaking rights on the powerful Fifa Council, the decision-making body of global football.

Fifa says it has struck the deal on the condition that all legal proceedings against it, initiated by Fifpro, are withdrawn.

In October 2024, Fifpro filed an "abuse of dominance" claim against Fifa around the overcrowded match calendar.

Earlier this week, former France midfielder Lassana Diarra reached a settlement, external to his damages claim, initially for 65 million euros (£56.1m), against FIFA and the Belgian Football Association after his contract was cancelled by Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow and he was subsequently denied a transfer to Charleroi in 2014.

One of the key elements of the agreement is that players will have greater protection against what are regarded as abusive practices, including being forced to train on their own, having their passports withheld, or being subjected to abusive registration procedures.

In those circumstances, players will be able to cancel their contracts and still receive the payments they are due under those contracts, claim compensation for justifiable expenses and potentially demand an extra six months' pay in damages.

Clubs that fail to respect their contractual obligations will face swifter and more effective sporting and financial consequences.

FIFPro president Sergio Marchi said: "This agreement represents an important step forward for football. Ensuring that players and their representatives have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their careers is not only beneficial for footballers, but for the game as a whole."

Speaking at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City a day before the World Cup begins, FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed the agreement.

"It's about unity, about bringing everyone together," he said.

"We've always been having dialogues. Now, sometimes you don't agree, when you don't agree, well, you can go and say it to everyone, or you can sit down and discuss and see what makes sense.

"So, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Fifpro, and everything is agreed."

Good news, but issues remain - analysis

This all looks very positive, but it is not quite perfect.

The major issue over the congested match calendar is still to be resolved, and it is understood the Professional Footballers' Association is not yet in a position to back down from its own legal threat.

It remains to be seen whether a resolution to the outstanding issues can be found and, if not, whether Infantino will threaten to pull the plug on the whole agreement.

However, for now, the players' voice is starting to be heard.

For too long, it has appeared that the people most responsible for the enduring worldwide appeal of the game have no input into the major decisions around it. That is beginning to change.