Football Contracts and Pregnancy: What the Maja Göthberg CAS Case Means for Players

A footballer is negotiating a new contract. The club and player exchange messages, discuss salary and agree on the main terms. Both sides appear ready to continue working together.

Before the paperwork is signed, the player informs the club that she is pregnant.

Suddenly, the relationship changes. The negotiations break down, and the club argues that no new contract ever existed.

For a professional footballer, this creates two difficult questions: can an employment relationship exist before a contract is signed, and what protection does a player have if pregnancy appears to be the reason an opportunity disappears?

A case involving Swedish defender Maja Göthberg and Italian club Lazio Women has brought these questions into focus.

What happened in the Göthberg case?

Göthberg played for Lazio Women during the 2023–24 season and helped the club secure promotion to Italy’s top division.

In the summer of 2024, the player and club entered negotiations over a new contract. According to FIFPRO’s account of the case, the parties exchanged extensive communications and agreed on the essential terms of the proposed employment relationship.

Göthberg subsequently informed the club that she was pregnant.

The negotiations then broke down. Lazio disputed that a new employment relationship had been concluded, while Göthberg maintained that the club had withdrawn because of her pregnancy.

The dispute eventually reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport after an earlier decision by FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber had gone against the player.

On 24 June 2026, FIFPRO reported that CAS ruled in Göthberg’s favour, finding that the club had unlawfully ended the employment relationship because of her pregnancy. The decision also addressed the disclosure of pregnancy-related information without her consent.

The case is significant because the dispute was not resolved simply by asking whether a fully signed contract existed.

Can an unsigned contract still matter?

The answer depends on the applicable law, the relevant football regulations and the circumstances of the negotiations.

In Göthberg’s case, the absence of a signed new contract did not prevent CAS from examining whether the parties had already established an employment relationship.

The communications between the player and club were important evidence. They helped establish what had been agreed, what each party understood the arrangement to be and what happened after the player disclosed her pregnancy.

This does not mean that every exchange of messages creates a binding football contract.

Negotiations may remain incomplete, and the parties may expressly make their agreement conditional on signing a formal document. The legal effect of messages, draft agreements and verbal assurances depends on the applicable law and the facts.

The practical lesson is that clubs and players should not assume that informal communications have no legal significance.

Why pregnancy protection matters in football

Professional football is a workplace, and employment protections are important to players’ ability to build sustainable careers.

FIFA has developed regulations addressing maternity, adoption and family leave, breastfeeding, menstrual health and other matters affecting female players and coaches.

The framework includes minimum standards intended to protect players who become pregnant and to address the employment consequences of maternity.

FIFA’s published overview explains the development of these protections and the changes introduced to its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

The Göthberg case illustrates why written protections matter, but also why their practical enforcement matters. A regulation is only useful if a player can rely on it when a dispute arises.

What did the CAS ruling establish?

According to FIFPRO’s report, CAS found that Göthberg had been unlawfully disadvantaged because of her pregnancy and that the employment relationship had been terminated in circumstances that violated the applicable protections.

The decision also addressed the disclosure of her pregnancy-related information without her consent.

The ruling therefore concerned two distinct issues: the treatment of the player in the employment relationship and the confidentiality of sensitive personal information.

The distinction matters. A club’s responsibility to handle employment negotiations appropriately is not the same as its responsibility to protect a player’s private medical information.

Clubs should have procedures for both.

What should players do when negotiating a contract?

1. Keep written records.

Save relevant emails, messages, draft agreements, salary discussions and communications confirming the main terms of a proposed contract.

These records may help establish what was discussed and agreed if a dispute develops.

2. Ask what remains outstanding.

Before assuming that a contract is final, clarify whether the agreement is conditional on further approval, a medical examination, a formal signature or another requirement.

Where possible, have the parties confirm the status of the negotiations in writing.

3. Obtain independent advice.

A qualified football lawyer, players’ union or other appropriate adviser can help determine whether an employment agreement has been formed and what obligations may arise.

4. Protect sensitive medical information.

Players should understand who needs access to their medical information and why. Clubs should limit disclosure to people who are appropriately authorised and have a legitimate need for the information.

5. Seek help if pregnancy appears to affect employment decisions.

A player who believes she has been treated unfairly should preserve the relevant evidence and obtain advice about the applicable complaint or dispute-resolution process.

The appropriate forum may depend on the contract, the parties, the regulations and the legal framework governing the employment relationship.

What does this mean for women’s football in Nigeria?

The case offers a practical lesson for Nigerian women’s clubs, players and agents, but it should not be treated as an automatic ruling on every domestic employment dispute.

The applicable legal framework may include FIFA regulations, NFF rules, the terms of the employment agreement and relevant national law. The correct route for a claim depends on the circumstances.

Clubs should establish clear employment procedures, document negotiations accurately and ensure that sensitive medical information is handled responsibly.

Players should be encouraged to understand their contractual position and seek advice when questions arise, rather than assuming that they have no rights until every document has been signed.

For a developing women’s football environment, these practices can help establish clearer expectations between players and clubs.

The wider lesson

The Göthberg case is a reminder that professional football involves employment relationships as well as sporting performance.

A player’s rights should not depend entirely on whether a club has completed its paperwork, and an unsigned agreement should not be treated as automatically irrelevant.

At the same time, every dispute requires careful examination of the facts and the applicable rules.

A2Z Football Hub takeaway: Players should document contract negotiations, clarify outstanding conditions and seek independent advice when employment rights are at stake. Clubs must handle pregnancy-related matters and private medical information responsibly.