In the legal dispute with former French national team player Lassana Diarra over international transfer rules, FIFA has reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement.
FIFA did not specify the exact terms of the agreement between the two parties. When asked by the German Press Agency, Diarra’s former lawyer initially stated that he was unaware of any agreement.
Diarra, a former professional for Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and PSG, had sued FIFA and the Belgian Football Association in the summer of 2025 for compensation totaling 65 million euros gross. This followed a 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice, which found that certain FIFA transfer rules violated EU law.
FIFA emphasizes: No compensation payment
Diarra and FIFA have now settled all legal disputes, the federation announced. It emphasized: “FIFA has neither admitted fault nor made a compensation payment.” At this time, the world governing body does not wish to comment further on the matter.
The background to the years-long dispute was Diarra’s departure in 2014 from his then-club Lokomotiv Moscow despite an existing contract. The club accused the player of breach of contract and contacted FIFA, which subsequently fined Diarra more than ten million euros.
Uncertainty regarding the consequences for potential class-action lawsuits against FIFA
Subsequently, other clubs refrained from signing him because the FIFA regulations at the time stipulated that a new club would be liable for the player and would have to pay any penalties. In its ruling, the ECJ criticized that this restricted the free movement of players and competition between clubs, as guaranteed by EU law. According to its own statements, FIFA subsequently set about revising its rules.
As a result of the case, the organization Justice for Players prepared class-action lawsuits against FIFA as well as the national associations in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. It argues that the new FIFA regulations are insufficient and that there is no compensation for players who have been wronged in the past. The implications of FIFA’s settlement with Diarra were initially unclear.