About Us - World Players Association

Who We Are

World Players is the global voice of organized athletes, representing more than 85,000 players through over 120 player associations in 65+ countries across professional football, basketball, rugby, cricket, American football, tennis, ice hockey and numerous other sports. We unite athletes across sports and continents to protect their rights, improve working conditions, and strengthen their collective influence in the governance of global sport.

2014-2024: Building the Foundation

World Players was born in 2014 as the sports sector within UNI Global Union, the international federation representing 20 million service workers worldwide. This structure allowed us to establish player associations as part of the broader labor movement, sharing administrative infrastructure and resources with other labor sectors while developing our voice and capacity to represent professional athletes globally.

During this decade, we built a powerful international network of player associations, established key advocacy campaigns on athlete health and safety, advanced equality in women's professional sport, and demonstrated that organized players could drive meaningful reform in sports governance. We proved that international solidarity among athletes creates real change.

2025-Present: Independence and Direct Governance

Following a unanimous decision by our Executive Committee in 2024, World Players transitioned to an independent organization with its own governance structure in 2025. This evolution represents our commitment to focusing exclusively on the unique landscape of professional sport, with direct accountability to our member associations and the athletes they represent. We maintain our sports sector within UNI Global Union, preserving our connection to the broader labor movement.

As an independent organization governed directly by player associations, we return to our core mission: strengthening collective bargaining at the national level and transforming the structures that govern sport to ensure athletes' voices are central to decision-making at the international level. This structure enhances our ability to respond to the rapidly evolving challenges of global sport and opens new possibilities for commercial partnerships and collective initiatives that advance the interests of professional athletes worldwide.

What Drives Us

Guided by the vision of a world of sport that is collectively bargained, we empower player associations, foster solidarity, and inspire change to create fairer, more sustainable sports industries for all.

We Empower

We empower players by ensuring their rights and working conditions are protected through collective bargaining. By equipping player associations with practical tools, education, and standards, we strengthen their ability to negotiate better agreements and deliver lifelong support to athletes. Our independence allows us to provide more targeted resources and strategic support tailored specifically to the needs of professional athletes.

We Unite

We unite players across disciplines and continents, building solidarity that amplifies their voice. By bringing associations together, we enable players to shape decisions at every level of the game, improve working conditions, and advance their rights through collective action. Our global network creates a powerful collective force that no single association could achieve alone.

We Inspire

We inspire change by showing how organized players transform sport. From advancing equality in women's professional sport to global campaigns on health and safety, our movement demonstrates that international solidarity drives real reforms, protects rights, and creates a fairer future for all athletes. As an independent organization, we're positioned to lead even bolder initiatives that reshape the future of professional sport worldwide.