FIFA's FIFA Football Tribunal has processed more than 22,000 cases, applications, and enquiries in the 2025/2026 reporting period — a new all-time record — as the body's regulatory and dispute resolution role continues to expand ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The figures were released in FIFA's fifth annual Football Tribunal Report, covering activity between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Officials say the record volume was handled without sacrificing speed or quality, with international minor transfer applications and dispute resolution cases both resolved within consistently short timeframes.

World Cup preparations drive eligibility surge

Eligibility and change-of-association requests surged by approximately 37 percent compared with the previous cycle, a trend FIFA directly attributes to the build-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026. For the first time, this year's report includes a dedicated chapter analysing how activity tracked alongside the qualification process, which Member Associations were most active, and how requests were distributed across all six confederations.

International transfers of minors also reached notable heights during the period, with over 17,000 applications submitted — underscoring the Tribunal's central role in safeguarding young players within the global transfer system.

Contractual disputes and mediation on the rise

Contractual disputes, particularly employment-related claims between players and clubs, continued an upward trend and reached unprecedented levels. Mediation, meanwhile, recorded a sharp acceleration: the number of cases submitted more than doubled compared with the previous reporting period, and successful resolutions became markedly more frequent.

The 2025/2026 cycle also marked the first complete year of operation under the Interim Regulatory Framework, approved in the prior period. The Football Tribunal spent the year applying and interpreting the revised rules, further cementing its evolving role beyond traditional dispute resolution into broader regulatory oversight.

FIFA described the results as a reflection of its commitment to transparent, efficient, and accessible services for all football stakeholders worldwide.