MEXICO Law and Practice Contributed by: Héctor Kuri, Ricardo García, Lisandro Herrera and Xavier Careaga, Galicia Abogados, S.C.
ing public-interest functions regulated by the LGCFD. Within the SINADE framework, federations possess regulatory and disciplinary powers and may impose sporting sanctions (match suspensions, disqualifica - tions, point deductions, competition bans) and finan - cial sanctions (fines, withholding of prize money). Parties challenging decisions must navigate multiple remedial avenues: internal federation appeals proce - dures, appeals before CAAD (though following the August 2025 restructuring, parties increasingly bypass this route), and constitutional protection through amp - aro proceedings where sanctions violate fundamental rights or breach due process guarantees. Sanctions that are disproportionate or imposed with - out adequate procedural safeguards may be nulli - fied through amparo. For disputes with international dimensions, CAS serves as the final appellate body. Parties may also pursue private commercial arbitra - tion under the Federal Code of Commerce for con - tractual disputes not subject to exclusive federation jurisdiction. 7. Employment Contracts and Rights 7.1 Sports-Related Employment Contracts Professional sport is understood as that in which the athlete is subject to an employment relationship, obtaining economic remuneration. Relations between players and organisations are typically managed under employment contracts. The Mexican Federal Labour Law ( Ley Federal de Trabajo or LFT) has a special chapter regulating the work of professional athletes. Central player contracts are usually executed for a fixed term, specific tournament, or season. Salary Caps Salary caps are uncommon in professional Mexican sports. The LFT provides that different salaries among players performing the same activities are allowed, depending on factors such as the category of events, the organisation, or the player’s abilities. Additional Considerations Labour law stipulates that a professional player can - not be transferred without their consent and is entitled
to receive at least 25% of any transfer fee. Profes - sional players have additional obligations such as attending training sessions, complying with sports regulations, and refraining from mistreating referees and other players. Employment contracts may include non-compete clauses or exclusivity arrangements, which must comply with constitutional protections. 7.2 Employer/Employee Rights Professional athletes in Mexico are considered employees under the Federal Labour Law (LFT), entitled to the same minimum labour rights as other employees, including salary protection and social security. Compliance with sports regulations may govern sporting aspects but cannot override non- waivable labour rights. Mexican sports governing bodies, such as the FMF, may establish internal mechanisms to resolve sport- related disputes between players and clubs. These commissions function as disciplinary or arbitral bodies but do not replace players’ right to bring labour claims before competent labour authorities. Bodies such as CAAD and CAS hear sports-related appeals but do not displace the jurisdiction of Mexican labour courts over employment matters. A noteworthy example occurred in 2019 when play - ers filed a claim against football team Club Tiburones Rojos del Veracruz for unpaid salaries. The dispute was resolved by the Mexican Football Association’s Conciliation and Dispute Commission, which obliged the club to pay outstanding wages. The team was also disaffiliated from the Mexican Football League due to this dispute. 7.3 Free Movement of Athletes Foreign Athletes Caps There are no federal laws prohibiting sports governing bodies from capping the number of foreign athletes. Sports governing bodies and leagues have discretion to establish eligibility and registration rules, including restrictions on foreign players. For example, Liga MX regulations include limits on non-Mexican-trained players. For the 2025/2026 sea - son, clubs may register up to nine “ Non-Formados en México ” (NFM) players, with a maximum of seven
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