Taking feminism beyond the state: FIFA as a transnational battleground for feminist legal critique

Abstract

Abstract The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) plays a fundamental role in defining and asserting the boundary between men and women in football. Its decisions condition the way the game is played, the way players and clubs contract, and the way the FIFA World Cup is organized and experienced by people around the world. FIFA’s private transnational governance regime is, at least hypothetically, as prone to gender bias and discrimination as states or international organizations. Nevertheless, feminist legal scholars have rarely directed their sights on transnational private regulators such as FIFA. This article suggests to take the feminist legal critique beyond its traditional battlegrounds and highlights FIFA as a transnational governance site deserving feminist scrutiny. While it does not advocate for the introduction of specific policies, it aims to provide a convincing justification and a helpful roadmap for future feminist engagements with FIFA.