Football's global governing body Fifa has initiated discussions regarding a groundbreaking proposal that would mandate all professional teams to feature at least one homegrown young player on the pitch throughout matches.
The Fifa Council agreed on Tuesday to aim to develop a formal plan within the next year following extensive global consultation with stakeholders.
This initiative seeks to enhance playing opportunities for young talents developed within clubs, which often prioritise acquiring and importing established players.
Fifa stated its objective is "a regulatory obligation that senior club teams are obliged to always have at least one homegrown player from the Under-20 or Under-21 category on the field of play."
This potential rule represents a stricter approach than current regulations in both national and international club competitions, including the prestigious Champions League.
Existing rules typically require a quota of homegrown and club-trained players within squad lists, but crucially, impose no obligation for their selection in starting line-ups or during games.
For instance, Champions League guidelines stipulate that each squad must reserve a minimum of eight places for "locally trained players" within its 25-player maximum.
Uefa, the Champions League organiser, defines a locally trained player as one nurtured either by the club itself or another club in the same country for at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21. For example, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo are considered locally trained players.
Fifa has been exploring a number of rule changes in recent months, with VAR set to have more power at this summer’s World Cup.
Using VAR to check corners will be an option for competitions from this summer, while referees will also be able to do a five-second countdown if they feel players are taking too long with throw-ins or dead-ball goal kicks.
Fifa has also been trialling a new “daylight offside” rule in Canada, an idea promoted by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
