Overview
- The FIFA Council, which approved the consultation Tuesday, set a goal to present a formal plan within a year after talks with leagues, clubs, players and confederations.
- The proposal would require senior teams to always field at least one homegrown player from the under-20 or under-21 category, a stricter on-field obligation than current squad-list quotas.
- Unlike UEFA’s Champions League rule that reserves eight roster spots for locally trained players developed for three seasons between ages 15 and 21, FIFA’s idea would mandate real game minutes.
- FIFA has not adopted the rule, and definitions and timing remain open, with reports noting positive discussions among the six confederation presidents but no final terms.
- Analysts say the change could force new transfer and selection strategies, and data cited in coverage highlight clubs with few U21 minutes this season, including zero for Burnley and Leeds and limited minutes for Liverpool’s teenagers.