The PFA actively supports players with legal assistance, representation on contractual and disciplinary matters, and offers personal and professional development opportunities.

The union also provides extensive mental and physical wellbeing support, and is committed to advocating for player rights at national and international levels.

This includes taking legal action on issues such as player workload and pushing for equal representation and conditions in women's football.

Current initiatives include the PFA Business School, which provides leadership training for players, and exclusive UEFA coaching programmes.

Additionally, it runs rehabilitation programmes for injured players, pre-season camps for out-of-contract members, and ongoing aftercare support for former professionals transitioning into life after football.

The current CEO of the PFA is Maheta Molango, who took over in 2021, and the Players' Board, led by Leyton Orient's Omar Beckles.,[4] represents member interests.

Agreement was reached on official recognition for the Union in exchange for allowing bonus payments to be made to players to supplement the maximum wage.

Widespread unemployment heralded declines in attendance at Football League matches at a time when many clubs had, once again, committed themselves to expensive ground improvement programmes in the expectation that the post-war spectator boom would continue indefinitely.

His book Soccer Rebel, published in 1976, documents his chairmanship and the struggle of the Union to improve the lot of professional footballers in the years preceding the abolition of the maximum wage.

Throughout the year the PFA ran a number of high-profile events involving current and former players and managers with the sole purpose of reaching the £1 million target.

On the day that the PFA was formed in 1907 – 2 December – there was a match between an England Legends XI – captained by Alan Shearer and managed by Terry Venables – and a World Legends XI – captained by Gianfranco Zola and managed by Jürgen Klinsmann – culminating in a gala dinner in the evening involving a host of top entertainers.

Following an open and competitive recruitment process, Maheta Molango was appointed as the new Chief Executive, leading the organisation through this period of change and development.

[24] As a result, the Minister for Sport, Tony Banks, and the Chief Executive of The Football Association, Graham Kelly boycotted the event.

The union also works with stakeholders and governing bodies at the national and international level to promote and protect players’ rights and conditions.

In June 2024, the PFA joined a legal action against FIFA over the "overloaded and unworkable"[26] football match calendar which was presented before the Belgian courts.

Under the standard playing contract, current players are also entitled to representation during general and field disciplinary appeals with the FA and with tribunals with the Premier League, EFL and WSL.

Working alongside the Player Services division, it also provides members with advice on various legal issues in relation to all football matters.

The PFA delivers exclusive, subsidised courses to help current and former professional players gain UEFA coaching badges.

Granit Xhaka, Jermain Defoe, Mohamed Elneny and Colin Kazim-Richards are among the former Premier League players to have undertaken their UEFA coaching badges with the PFA.

The course consists of 17 current and former professional players, including Steph Houghton, Aoife Mannion, Kim Little, Beth Mead and Karen Bardsley.

The scheme is designed to increase the number of Black, South Asian and Minority Ethnic players who transition into full-time coaching roles in the professional game.

In June 2024, the PFA announced[41] a partnership with PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) to create a new programme offering current and former players the chance to explore a career in refereeing.

The department provides members to career advice, professional development guidance and access to funding to pursue courses and academic or vocational qualifications.

The PFA's Wellbeing[44] department provides the union's members – past and present – with tailored support around all aspects of mental health and behavioural challenges.

Led by psychotherapist and former professional player Dr Michael Bennett, the department conducts tailored workshops to clubs across the Premier League, EFL and WSL.

The union states[48] that its work is focused on two areas: “developing a culture of positive brain health for players across football”, and “enhancing the quality of life for players living with neurodegenerative disease.” The department is led by Dr Adam White,[49] an interdisciplinary researcher crossing sport, medicine and health and the co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

The fund was established with an initial allocation of £1 million to provide financial support to former players and their families affected by dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The PFA's Brain Health division provides guidance and support for players and families suffering with neurodegenerative disease, including free access to Admiral Nurses specialising in dementia care.

[54] Located at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) in central London, the clinic provides confidential and specialist neurological assessments to mid-life retired male and female professional footballers.

Delivered in partnership with Game Changer Performance (GCP), the scheme is designed to help members overcome injury and safely return to playing.