How has FIFA responded to the Diarra ruling? The new Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) will apply to transactions in 2027.
On 4 October 2024, the CJEU held that several FIFA transfer rules were contrary to EU law (CJEU, 4 October 2024, Case C-650/22, FIFA v. Diarra). The rules at issue covered the calculation of compensation owed when a contract is terminated without just cause, the joint liability of the new club, and the blocking of the International Transfer Certificate.
FIFA first adopted an interim regulatory framework on 22 December 2024. It covered compensation for termination, joint liability, inducement to breach, the International Transfer Certificate and the procedure before the Football Tribunal.
On 10 June 2026, the FIFA Council Bureau approved a final package. It includes a new version of the RSTP and amendments to the Disciplinary Code, the Governance Regulations and the procedural rules of the Football Tribunal.
The text revises the compensation and sanction rules in Article 17, as well as the rules on contract duration and minors. It introduces a mechanism giving the lowest-paid players a share of transfer fees (Article 21bis). It also changes FIFA's jurisdiction and the procedure for issuing the International Transfer Certificate.
Clubs should review their termination clauses and recruitment practices now. Transactions in the winter 2027 transfer window will be subject to the new text.
Source : FIFA Circular No. 1970 · Football Legal, 11 June 2026
