Lassana Diarra has won a court case against FIFA. This will affect the transfer market

The legal dispute between former Real Madrid, Chelsea, and PSG midfielder Lassana Diarra and FIFA, which lasted several years, has finally reached a verdict.

Details: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has officially ruled that FIFA’s transfer regulations are in violation of EU law, as they hinder the free movement of players and stifle competition between clubs.

In 2014, Diarra unilaterally terminated his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow, but FIFA deemed there was no valid reason for the termination and fined the Frenchman €10.5 million. Following this, Diarra received an offer from Belgian club Charleroi but was unable to obtain a transfer certificate from his previous club. This led him to take legal action against FIFA in the European Court.

The court’s ruling states that certain aspects of FIFA's current transfer rules will need to be revised to ensure they remain valid within the EU.

Reminder: It was previously reported that the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup faced potential delays due to a series of issues.