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Football-related disputes accounted for the overwhelming majority of international sports litigation in 2025, according to the latest CAS and Football Annual Report released by FIFA.
Data from the report reveals that a staggering 77% of all cases registered with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last year involved football matters.
This high percentage underscores the sport’s massive footprint in the global legal arena and its dominant share of the tribunal’s total workload.
The report serves as a comprehensive guide to the appeals process, detailing how decisions made by FIFA authorities are reviewed by the independent arbitral body.
Under the established framework of the FIFA Statutes, CAS is recognised as the final authority for resolving disputes involving a wide array of stakeholders, including member associations, clubs, players, coaches, and agents.
This system is designed to provide an impartial and transparent mechanism for settling complex disagreements within the professional game.
In addition to statistical data, the 2025 publication provides valuable legal insights by summarising landmark rulings from both CAS and the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
These summaries, drawn from FIFA’s quarterly legal updates, offer a roadmap for how international sports law is evolving. By documenting these cases, the report helps legal practitioners and sports executives understand the precedents that will shape future arbitration proceedings.
The continued concentration of cases within CAS highlights the sport’s commitment to a centralised, independent justice system.
As football grows more commercially complex, the reliance on these arbitration mechanisms ensures that every participant has access to fair adjudication.
This annual review not only tracks the volume of legal activity but also reinforces the importance of maintaining a consistent and independent legal standard for the world’s most popular sport.
