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Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
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Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

EU foundational treaty; Article 102 prohibits abuse of dominant market position — the basis for FSE's complaint against FIFA.

Last refreshed: 19 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

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Common Questions
What is the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union?
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is one of the EU's foundational treaties. Article 102 prohibits abuse of a dominant market position in the EU — the legal basis for the Article 102 complaint filed against FIFA's World Cup ticketing practices in March 2026.Source: European Commission
What is Article 102 TFEU and how does it apply to FIFA?
Article 102 TFEU prohibits companies holding dominant market positions from abusing that dominance, such as through excessive pricing. Football Supporters Europe invoked it against FIFA's 2026 World Cup ticketing practices in a complaint to DG COMP filed on 24 March 2026.Source: European Commission / FSE
Has Article 102 TFEU ever been applied to a sports governing body?
No. The EU's DG COMP has not previously applied Article 102 TFEU successfully to a sports governing body. The FIFA ticketing complaint filed in March 2026 would be a first — and requires establishing that FIFA holds dominance in a legally defined relevant market, a hurdle no complainant has cleared against a sports body.Source: European Commission / FSE

Background

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is one of the EU's foundational treaties, establishing the legal basis for the single market, competition law, and consumer protection. Article 102 TFEU specifically prohibits abuse of a dominant market position, and is the legal instrument underpinning the complaint filed by Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers against FIFA's World Cup ticket pricing practices on 24 March 2026.

The complaint argues that FIFA, as the sole provider of World Cup tickets globally, holds a dominant position in the relevant market, and that its Dynamic pricing and seat-tier practices constitute an abuse. The Article 102 mechanism requires DG COMP (the European Commission's competition directorate) to assess market definition — a legal argument that has not previously been made for a sports governing body in an EU competition case.