The French National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) said on Thursday its board unanimously decided to become a co-plaintiff in the "Justice for Players" (JfP) lawsuit, which stems from a European court ruling that found some FIFA transfer rules violate EU law.
The case centres on former Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, who was slapped with a 10 million euros ($11.66 million) fine by FIFA for leaving Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow one year into a four-year contract.
Last October, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that some FIFA transfer regulations breach European Union laws and free movement principles in the Diarra case, opening the floodgates for the wide-ranging legal challenge.
The Dutch players' group launched what they described as a "potentially billion-dollar" Europe-wide class action against FIFA last month, with JfP saying an estimated 100,000 male and female professional players are eligible to join.
'Our responsibility to join class action'
"As a union representing more than 90% of professional players in France, it is our responsibility to join this class action," UNFP president David Terrier said in a statement.
"Our main objective is to offer FIFA a new opportunity to sit down at the negotiating table with players' representatives in order to jointly develop new regulations that comply with European law and strike a fair balance between the interests of employees and employers."
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
The UNFP said its objectives involve achieving "sustainable reform of the transfer system" and securing fair compensation for affected players.
"We also recognise the importance of recent advances at European level, particularly thanks to the strong partnership that (players' union) FIFPRO Europe has developed with UEFA," Terrier added.
"Building on these achievements, the UNFP will play its full role as a social partner to enable the emergence of renewed governance and an objective, transparent and balanced transfer system."
Last year UEFA signed a partnership agreement with FIFPRO to give the global players' union a seat within its executive committee.
'A powerful endorsment'
Lucia Melcherts, chair of the JfP Foundation, welcomed the UNFP's decision as "a powerful endorsement of what we are committed to achieving through this legal action for professional footballers, not only past and present but also in the future.
"Achieving reform of the FIFA transfer system and securing compensation for players is firmly on the horizon."
The group is urging all players who have played for clubs in the EU or United Kingdom since 2002 to join the legal action through the justiceforplayers.com website "in order to secure the compensation that is owed to them."