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Reggie Cannon has emerged victorious in a long-running contractual dispute with Portuguese club Boavista, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned a previous ruling by FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber. The decision now entitles the American defender to approximately €400,000 ($468,000) in compensation.
The court confirmed on Wednesday that it had reversed FIFA’s July 3 ruling.
The dispute stemmed from Cannon’s time at Boavista, where he moved in 2020 from FC Dallas on a five-year deal. His salary was set to increase annually, ranging from €175,000 in the first season to €550,000 by the 2024–25 campaign. After filing multiple notices of default due to delayed payments in both 2021 and 2023, Cannon unilaterally terminated his contract in June 2023, citing unpaid wages.
Shortly afterward, he signed a four-year deal with QPR. Boavista disputed the termination, arguing breach of contract, and demanded over €2.1 million in compensation from QPR. FIFA initially sided partially with Boavista, ordering Cannon to receive €88,000 but requiring QPR to pay €1.29 million to the Portuguese club.
However, sources familiar with the appeal told ESPN that CAS found Boavista had missed 28 of 29 scheduled payments, sometimes by nearly 100 days, giving Cannon just cause to terminate the deal.
“It’s taken up so many days,” Cannon said of the legal battle. “The amount of legal stuff that I had to read up on, the amount of calls with the lawyers, the travel to Switzerland, which I did for the actual case. It feels like it just took up so much of my mental space, so much of my time, so much of my energy. Ultimately, this is why I feel such a weight of relief.”
Cannon was reportedly notified of CAS’s ruling earlier this week.
“It was such a good feeling getting that call because obviously there was a lot of pressure with the previous decision,” he told ESPN. “So it was very rare for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to completely overturn a decision.”
Now playing for MLS side Colorado Rapids, Cannon made 82 league appearances for Boavista before spending a season with QPR. Internationally, he has represented the United States 28 times.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @reggiecannon1
