Miami, 7 November 2025 The International Association of Football Lawyers AIAF has successfully concluded its 12th Annual AIAF Congress, held on 6–7 November at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, gathering nearly 250 professionals from more than 40 countries. This edition has reinforced the Congress’ status as one of the most influential international events in the fields of football law, sports governance and global regulation.

The Congress was preceded by the AIAF–FIFA Workshop, held on 4–5 November, where experts from both organizations examined in depth the main regulatory challenges, emerging legal trends and key issues currently shaping the global football ecosystem. The workshop highlighted the growing institutional cooperation between AIAF and FIFA, and its conclusions fed directly into the core discussions held during the Congress.

This year’s edition was organized in collaboration with FIFA, Ruiz Huerta & Crespo Abogados, Global Sports Advocates, ITTI Sports as training Partner, and Football Legal as Scientific Partner. Prominent figures in sports law, club executives, regulators, international arbitrators and academics took part in two days of specialized analysis and high-level debate.

One of the most notable aspects of the event was the prominent role of ITTI Sports Institute, AIAF’s Official Training Partner and the institution with which it jointly delivers the Master in Football Law, recognised as one of the most prestigious programs worldwide in the field of football law. This academic leadership was further reinforced by the recent distinction awarded by The Impact Lawyers, which named ITTI the best sports law education institution in the world.

As part of the Congress, the AIAF–ITTI Award for the Best Final Master’s Theses in Football Law was also presented. The three finalists, all present in Miami, were Rodrigo Corchero, Hadeel Al-Sharqawi and Mariona Arisa. The winning thesis was authored by Hadeel Al-Sharqawi, whose research examined the compatibility of the provisional Article 17 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players with the European principle of free movement, and proposed an alternative model for calculating compensation in the post-Diarra context. After completing the programme, Hadeel began her professional career as a lawyer at the Jordan Football Federation, a clear example of the impact and employability generated by the AIAF–ITTI academic partnership.

The Master in Football Law has consolidated its international reputation by training specialists in FIFA regulations, sports arbitration, transfer systems, compliance, taxation, governance and sports litigation. The presence of its top students at the Congress demonstrates the strong link between this advanced training program, international institutions and real professional opportunities within the industry.

The 2025 edition also marks the first AIAF Congress to be held in North America, a milestone that underscores Miami’s growing importance as a global hub for sports law and the anticipation generated by the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to further enhance the city’s strategic relevance on the international stage.

The AIAF extends its gratitude to its Main Partners FIFA, Ruiz Huerta & Crespo Abogados and Global Sports Advocates as well as to Football Legal, Scientific Partner of the Congress, for their essential support in delivering this landmark edition.