By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The EuroLeague Players Association, ELPA, actively shaped discussions on international sports growth at the World Players Summit 2026, held from June 8 to 11.
ELPA General Secretary Alexander Engelhard represented EuroLeague athletes at the four-day event. The summit was organized by the World Players Association and co-hosted by the Major League Soccer Players Association, MLSPA, and the National Football League Players Association, NFLPA.
Per the press release: “The EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA) was represented by General Secretary Alexander Engelhard at the World Players Summit 2026, organized by the World Players Association (WPA) and co-hosted by the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).
Held in Washington, D.C. from June 8–11, the Summit brought together player association leaders, legal experts and industry specialists from across the world of sport to exchange experiences, strengthen cooperation and discuss the key challenges facing professional athletes today.
The event featured sessions covering leadership and governance, collective bargaining, player relations, health and safety, and player development. Participants included representatives from some of the most established player associations in global sport, reflecting the growing importance of cross-sport collaboration in addressing issues that increasingly transcend individual leagues and jurisdictions.
As the representative body of EuroLeague players, ELPA’s participation in the Summit reflects the organization’s commitment to ensuring that European basketball remains connected to broader developments in international player representation and sports governance.
Discussing International Growth and the Future of Player Representation
As part of the program, Alexander Engelhard participated in a panel discussion on international growth alongside representatives from the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), NFL Players Association (NFLPA), National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
The discussion examined how player associations contribute to the success of international growth strategies and ensure that players remain meaningful stakeholders as competitions expand into new markets.
Drawing on ELPA’s experience in European basketball, Engelhard highlighted the unique challenges of governing a truly transnational competition, where players compete across multiple countries, legal systems and regulatory environments.
“One theme stood out throughout the discussion,” Engelhard said. “The most successful international growth strategies are not built around players — they are built with players.”
A European Model of Social Dialogue
During the panel, Alexander Engelhard outlined how ELPA and the EuroLeague have worked together since 2018 to establish the first pan-European collective bargaining agreement in professional sport, implement a standardized player contract across multiple jurisdictions, and create a framework for ongoing social dialogue between players and league management.
These initiatives have helped provide greater certainty, consistency and stability for players competing at the highest level of European club basketball while supporting the continued growth of the competition.
As European basketball enters a period of significant transformation, discussions at the Summit also highlighted the importance of ensuring that players remain involved in shaping the future governance of their sport.
“More investment, more fans and more opportunities for players are all welcome,” Alexander Engelhard noted. “The question is not whether the game should grow. The question is how it grows.”
Strengthening the Global Players Movement
The Summit reinforced the increasingly important role that player organizations play in modern sport — not only in collective bargaining and player protection, but also in helping shape sustainable governance structures capable of supporting long-term growth.
As professional sport becomes more international, cooperation between player associations across sports and continents will continue to be essential. ELPA remains committed to contributing to those discussions and ensuring that the voice of EuroLeague players is represented as the future of global sport is being shaped.”
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