Former France international Lassana Diarra has reached an agreement with FIFA and the Belgian Football Association, ending his long-running €65 million legal battle over football transfer regulations.

The settlement comes after years of legal disputes linked to his controversial exit from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014.

Diarra had challenged FIFA’s transfer rules after the Russian club accused him of unfairly terminating his contract and demanded compensation.

The dispute later affected a proposed move to Belgian side Charleroi, which reportedly withdrew from signing him over fears of financial sanctions tied to FIFA regulations.

In October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in Diarra’s favour, stating that FIFA’s transfer rules restricted the free movement of players and exposed them and interested clubs to major financial and sporting risks.

The ruling forced FIFA to amend parts of its player transfer regulations.

According to reports, Diarra later turned to Belgian courts to enforce the ruling after initial settlement talks failed.

Confirming the latest development, FIFA said both parties had now reached a comprehensive agreement, and all legal proceedings had been settled.

“Following the comprehensive agreement they reached, Mr Lassana Diarra and FIFA have settled all legal proceedings between them,” FIFA stated.

However, the football governing body added that it did not admit wrongdoing and had not paid compensation to the former midfielder.

Diarra, who played for clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, earned 35 caps for the French national team during his career.

The case has since become one of the most significant legal challenges to football’s transfer system in recent years.