Welcome back to the 14th Update, a Newsletter curated by 14 Sports Law, where the world of sports law unfolds with the rhythm of a well-struck penalty kick.
Congratulations to Chelsea FC on winning the first new format FIFA Club World Cup. After some initially low expectations, the tournament really hit it’s stride. Upsets, great matches, and a final that went the “other way” round up a clear success for FIFA. We look at some of the business angles of the competition below.
We continue to bring to you the 14th Update every month. This edition will unpack certain very interesting developments from the world of sports.
Our mission remains unwavering: to decode the complexities of sports law and present them to you in an engaging format. 14th Update is your passport to the latest developments in the arena of sports law, business, and technology.
As always, we invite you to share your thoughts, feedback, and questions with us at [info@14sportslaw.com].
Happy reading!
Best,
Luis Cassiano Neves
Founding Partner, 14 Sports Law
The transfer market is well and truly under way. Some of our most recent highlights include Edson Alvarez to West Ham, Sandro Cruz’s transfer from Gil Vicente to SK Slovan Bratislava, and Pedro Bicalho’s move from Alverca to Qarabağ.
Since the start of July, we’ve been involved in close to 150 (!) transfers, full report on that in a later edition of the 14th Update. Stay tuned!
Junior Partner Matilde Costa Dias has joined the REI Sports Law Institute Faculty as a Lecturer on a boutique master’s program designed for those aiming to build a top-level career in Sports Law.
Junior Associate Aakash Batra will be taking a lecture on “Sports Dispute Resolution and Judicial Review” on Global Sports Policy Review’s Masterclass, on 19 July 2025.
Luís Cassiano Neves shared his experience with young talents at IFAM 2025 in Barcelona.
Matilde Costa Dias joined a standout panel on “Working in a Sports Federation” at the Sports Arbitration Moot.
Historic Debut in AIFF PSC Case: First One with a Positive Outcome
In an impactful first case before the All India Football Federation’s Players’ Status Committee, 14 Sports Law secured an important victory for A. Karthika, prominent player for East Bengal FC women’s team and the Indian National Women Football Team. Represented by our Junior Associate Aakash Batra, collaborating with Pragati Banka from The Hub of Culture, we successfully contested a dispute involving overdue salary payments against Lord’s FA Kochi, the Player’s former Club. AIFF ruled decisively in Karthika’s favour, ordering the club to pay all outstanding amounts with interest for late payment, which had been due and payable since March 2023.
Crucially, the AIFF dismissed the procedural objection regarding the 2 years limitation period. It upheld the Player’s argument recognising that partial payments and ongoing acknowledgments by the Club effectively reset the limitation period under the AIFF RSTP and Indian laws, ensuring the timely admissibility of the Player's claim, and finally the ruling in her favour.
DAZN & FIFA’s Blockbuster Media Partnership
DAZN’s exclusive global broadcast of all 63 matches was far more than just screens: they secured behind the curtain access to training grounds, team hotels, and locker rooms, offering fans truly immersive, behind-the-scenes content. Working with IMG, DAZN produced 1,000+ hours of programming - including the daily wrap up show “The Press” - broadcast from a state-of-the-art virtual studio in the UK. They also teamed up with TikTok to push short form campaigns, influencers and interactive features to launch the tournament like gaming “episodes” - a campaign that felt more showbiz than sport. DAZN positioned the event as a cultural moment, not just a competition, and won. Notably, the clash of global football cultures or tribes, pitching teams that rarely meet against each other, was one of the aspects that most sold fans on the competition. FIFA’s digital channels boomed, adding some 6 million followers, 16 million site visits in June, and racking up 2.7 billion impressions (at the time of writing, before the final).
Ticket Pricing Drama and Attendance Optics
FIFA initially went big - reportedly spending over US $50 million on marketing - and launched with premium ticket pricing, drawing criticism as stadiums in group-stage games averaged only about 35–57% capacity in U.S. venues. Partway through, prices were slashed (e.g., semi finals went from ~$300 to ~$140), to boost attendance. On the bright side, attendances rebounded - FIFA reported over 2 million tickets sold and steady ~36,000 per match, rivalling MLS figures. But the narrative shifted: FIFA’s dynamic pricing experiment prompted questions about marketing timing, ticket value, and whether passion matched hype.
Playing Through the Finish Line: FIFA’s Contract Extension Rule
With the expanded tournament stretching into July, there was a real threat of leaving key players in limbo, most European contracts traditionally expire on June 30. To solve this, FIFA introduced a smart temporary amendment: players whose contracts ended on June 30 could sign short, two-week extensions to stay eligible through the knockout stages. This extension covered the tournament’s tail end, ensuring stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić, Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich, and Lucas Vázquez remained in their teams’ plans - even as free agents on paper - rather than being sidelined mid competition.
The rule came with practical limtations: no player could represent more than one club during the competition, and FIFA provided a limited mid tournament registration window (June 27–July 3) to swap in replacement players whose contracts had expired. While the extensions were optional and required agreement between clubs, players, and national associations, they offered clubs a much-needed safety valve - and largely neutralised the dreaded scenario of big names being left out. Ultimately, FIFA’s move balanced commercial ambition with player continuity: ensuring the tournament delivered on-surface star power while letting contracts roll over in a tidy, fair, and transparent manner.
CAS Code (2025 Edition) - Key Amendments Now in Force
In mid-June 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport officially announced a new wave of amendments to its Code of Sports-related Arbitration, which took effect as of 1 July 2025. These changes mark an important evolution in the procedural architecture of CAS proceedings, aiming to enhance efficiency, modernize communication protocols, and clarify key procedural aspects. The CAS Code governs CAS proceedings and serves as the backbone for practitioners and arbitrators engaged in sports disputes across the globe, ergo, it is imperative to understand the latest changes.
Among the most notable amendments is the complete removal of facsimile notifications under Articles R30, R31, and R59, reflecting CAS’s continued shift toward digitalization. The role of ad hoc clerks has also been supplemented by the formal introduction of “in-house clerks” under Articles R40.3 and R54, with their fees now explicitly included in arbitration costs. The provision on expedited procedure has been expanded: Article R44.4 confirms that procedural calendars mutually agreed upon by parties shall only bind CAS once validated by the Division President or the Panel. Further, Article R46 has introduced that “The Panel shall ensure that the procedure is handled quickly and efficiently” with the same wording incorporated in Article R59. Additionally, Article R50 clarifies the criteria for appointing a sole arbitrator in appeals, emphasizing the importance of party agreement and the value in dispute. Lastly, Article R64.4 has added in-house Clerks (in addition to ad hoc clerks) and authorises the inclusion of CAS counsel’s travel and accommodation expenses within the overall arbitration costs. Find the latest CAS Code here, and the latest schedule of costs here.
Latest FIFA RSTP – July 2025 Edition
The July 2025 Edition of the FIFA RSTP confirms the extension of Annexe 7, maintaining special provisions for foreign players and coaches affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia. First introduced in March 2022 as a temporary response to the conflict, Annex 7 enables players and coaches to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts with clubs in Ukraine and Russia.
Originally set to expire in June 2023, the annex has been successively extended in light of the continuing hostilities. The CAS upheld the validity of these provisions in January 2023, recognizing FIFA’s emergency measures as lawful and proportionate. With the conflict still unresolved, FIFA has now extended the measure through the end of the 2025–2026 season, i.e., until 30 June 2026.
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