On 24 February 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that it has entered into with the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), an independent non-departmental public body which is responsible for regulating the top five tiers of English Men’s football. The IFR was established under the Football Governance Act 2025 for the purpose of protecting and promoting the sustainability of English football.
The MoU describes how the FCA and IFR will work together to support effective regulation where football and financial services intersect. It sets out the broad principles of collaboration and the arrangements for the sharing of relevant information and intelligence between the parties, including discussion of: (i) the legal basis for sharing information; and (iii) how requests for information should be managed.
The FCA and IFR will monitor the operation of the MoU going forward and will review it annually.