The Court of Arbitration for Sport has been in the headlines of sports journalism in Mexico in recent weeks. This is because it recently deducted points from the professional soccer team Xolos de Tijuana, competing in the first division, and awarded them to the Puebla squad. The reason behind this decision was an alleged improper alignment, contrary to the regulations.

Puebla was penalized for not registering one of its coaching staff members in the match roster against Tijuana in the seventh week of the Apertura 2023 tournament, resulting in the loss of three points. After the sanction, Puebla appealed the decision of the Mexican Football Federation, but the appeal was denied. Consequently, the team decided to turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, obtaining a favorable resolution.

In light of this, professional football in Mexico is entering a new stage where there is a likelihood of an increasing reliance on the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This jurisdiction is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, with additional courts in New York and Sydney. Cases related to doping, player transfers, among others, have been brought before it. This trend reflects a need and even a demand for the acts and decisions occurring in the decision-making bodies of professional leagues in major sports worldwide to undergo review by independent and autonomous third-party bodies.

This could potentially bring the rule of law closer to sports, especially in the so-called “spectacle sports,” benefiting society as a whole and the millions of followers of these leagues around the world. These leagues generate a significant amount of money daily.

The spectacle must align with justice and the guiding principles of Sports Law. Therefore, the involvement of the Court of Arbitration for Sport is good news amid speculations, whether isolated or not, of match-fixing, corruption, improper betting, and other issues that tarnish the most popular sport in Mexico and the world. Hopefully, this tribunal will have an even more significant presence in the future.

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