Children's rights and recruitment in the professional football industry: A Policy Brief

Research by UNICEF has found that football clubs benefit considerably from the recruitment of young players into the football industry. Yet there is a lack of knowledge about how clubs uphold children’s rights and protect them from violations associated with recruitment into and engagement with the football industry. This situation is concerning given that, under the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs), professional football clubs have a responsibility to respect human rights. Additionally, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) offers a clear reference point for how respect for human rights can be translated to meet the needs of young people.

This policy brief aims to address this knowledge gap. It highlights where children’s rights were found to be at risk or impinged upon because of their recruitment into and involvement with football (Section 3), and identifies practical steps professional clubs can take to better uphold and protect the rights of young players based on insights from football clubs in different parts of the world (Appendix 1). Section 4 provides recommendations on how respect for children’s rights can be mainstreamed within the football industry more broadly. It does so by engaging with and aligning the key recommendations from the seminal Ruggie Report on human rights in football, commissioned by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), with a children’s rights focus. Section 5 outlines five ongoing challenges that warrant further attention.