In an award notified this Monday, the TAS has ruled in favor of FIFA in the dispute over the agent regulations, which remain in force and will be fully effective as of October 2023.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has agreed as follows:

1. The claims filed by PROFAA in this proceeding are dismissed in their entirety.

2. The costs of this arbitration, which will be determined and separately communicated to the parties by the TAS Court Office, will also be borne by PROFAA and FIFA.

3. PROFAA and FIFA will bear their own legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with this process.

The new regulations establish measures such as the limitation of fees, the prohibition of multiple representation or the principle by which only licensed soccer agents can carry out the activity, which for FIFA “will increase contractual stability, guarantee that the interests of agents and soccer players are in tune, raise professional and ethical standards, and ensure the proper functioning of the transfer system.”

This is the first in-depth assessment of the legality of the regulation (RFAF) carried out by a panel of renowned independent experts. The entry into force of the RFAF comes after an exhaustive consultation process with numerous interest groups. The decision confirms the position of FIFA, who considers that the RFAF constitutes a reasonable and proportionate regulatory framework that will help to solve systemic problems of the current transfer system.

FIFA has highlighted the fact that its authority to regulate the activity of football agents in the transfer system is confirmed, as well as the validity of the main provisions of the RFAF. Among them, the limitation of fees, the prohibition of multiple representation or the principle by which only licensed football agents can carry out the activity; All of these measures will increase contractual stability, guarantee that the interests of agents and footballers are in tune, raise professional and ethical standards, and ensure the proper functioning of the transfer system.

FIFA trusts that this decision provides legal certainty to football stakeholders regarding the integrity of the framework that regulates the activity of agents, including any ongoing disputes.

On January 9, the process for obtaining licenses to practice as a soccer agent stipulated in the FIFA Regulations on Football Agents approved by the FIFA Council last December came into force.

Shortly after, the world association of agents PROFAA challenged the regulations, alleging that the new FIFA regulations violated Swiss law, Community law and other national regulations, reasons that have just been dismissed by the CAS.

The goal set by FIFA is to establish a fairer and more transparent transfer system in the world of football.

The regulation establishes minimum service criteria between soccer agents and their clients. Among other measures, it imposes a mandatory licensing system, prohibits multiple representation to avoid conflicts of interest and applies a limit on commissions. In this way, it is intended to reinforce contractual stability, protect the integrity of the transfer system and achieve more transparency in all financial matters.

The regulation includes a transition period that runs until October 1 of this year. As of that date, only the services of licensed football agents may be contracted and the limit on agent commissions will apply.