On August 10, 2026, the situation of the three big São Paulo teams recently hit by transfer bans is already different: Corinthians and Santos are still unable to register new players, while São Paulo resolved its dispute with Lazio and has this possibility again. The distinction matters because a transfer ban does not necessarily mean that the club is prohibited from talking or reaching an agreement with a reinforcement. The block affects the new athlete's registration.
FIFA itself defines the punishment as a ban on registering new players, nationally or internationally, during its validity. The club returns to make new records after fully complying with the sanction or when the FIFA administration withdraws it, normally after fulfilling the obligation that gave rise to the case.
This makes the calendar especially relevant now. The second transfer window for professional men's football in Brazil began on July 20 and ends on September 11, 2026, according to the official CBF calendar. Each day of blocking reduces the period available to transform negotiations into effectively regularized players.
Who can register reinforcements on August 10
| Club | Origin of punishment | Responsible entity | Situation on 08/10/2026 | Practical effect | Path to release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corinthians | Pending issues regarding the purchase of José Martínez from the Philadelphia Union; for the signing of Charles from Midtjylland; and delay in installments of the payment plan at CNRD | FIFA in two cases; CNRD/CBF in the national case | Blocked. After paying off a disciplinary fine of US$225,000 on 7/24, three punishments remained: two international and one national. The dispute over the CNRD sanction remained open in August. | You cannot register new athletes while there is at least one blockade in effect | Separately resolve the debts supporting the two FIFA bans and obtain the removal of these restrictions; in the case of the CNRD, fulfill or renegotiate obligations and obtain a decision that lifts the national blockade |
| Santos | Debt with Monaco relating to the last installment of the signing of Jean Lucas, carried out in 2023 | FIFA, after dispute also taken to CAS | Blocked. The punishment has been active since July 1st and the club still had no plans to lift it on 08/10. | Cannot register reinforcements, even with the window open | Settle the debt recognized in the process with Monaco and obtain the ban lifted by FIFA |
| São Paulo | €1.05 million installment for the definitive purchase of Marcos Antônio from Lazio | FIFA | Released. The club settled the pending issue on 5/08 and regained permission to register new players. | You can register reinforcements within the applicable rules and deadlines | Step completed: payment of the pending issue that caused the block and removal of the restriction |
Corinthians need to break down three barriers, not just pay a debt
The Corinthians case is the most complex because there is no single process preventing the club from registering reinforcements.
One of FIFA's punishments is linked to the Philadelphia Union, from the United States, for the purchase of José Martínez. The debt reported when the ban was applied was approximately US$1.5 million. The club was prevented from registering new athletes for up to three windows, with the possibility of lifting the sanction upon regularization of the obligation.
The second current international blockade is related to Midtjylland, from Denmark, for the signing of Charles. Corinthians failed to pay the last installment scheduled for the deal. In July, the pending value was estimated at around R$6 million, and FIFA applied another registration restriction.
There was also a third sanction from FIFA, resulting from a disciplinary fine of US$ 225 thousand associated with non-compliance with obligations in the cases of José Martínez, Charles and Talles Magno. This is the punishment that Corinthians managed to eliminate on July 24, after paying the fine. The movement reduced the number of then active blockades from four to three, but did not resolve the main cases of Martínez and Charles nor the national problem.
The third barrier that remains is precisely the national one. The National Dispute Resolution Chamber, the CNRD, punished Corinthians after the delay in a portion of approximately R$8 million of its collective payment plan to creditors. The sanction announced in July provided for six months without new registrations.
The club tries to find a negotiated exit. At the beginning of August, Corinthians' proposal to reorganize payments was still facing resistance, especially from Cuiabá, the largest creditor involved in the process, which defended the maintenance of the punishment. This means that just releasing José Martínez or Charles would not be enough: Corinthians needs to stop having any active blocks before registering reinforcements normally again.
There are other financial disputes involving the club, but they should not automatically be added to the number of active bans. Cases on trial or appeal need to be separated from restrictions that already prevent registrations. This distinction avoids transforming every Corinthians debt or process into a transfer ban already in force.
Santos depends on the solution of the Jean Lucas case with Monaco
Santos' situation is more concentrated. The current blockage arises from the signing of Jean Lucas from Monaco, in 2023.
According to ge's investigation, Santos had paid the first two installments of the operation, which totaled €6 million, but left the third and final installment open. Monaco took the charge to FIFA. The Brazilian club was condemned in May 2025 and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the CAS.
In a decision in May 2026, the CAS upheld the conviction. The value reported was €2 million plus €32,876.71 in interest, totaling approximately €2.032 million. Without regularization, Santos entered the list of clubs with a transfer ban on July 1st.
The effect became more visible as the season progressed. On the night of August 9, after the defeat to Athletico-PR, Cuca complained about the size of the squad and asked the board to resolve the transfer ban to make reinforcements possible. On the morning of August 10, the club still had no public forecast for the removal of the punishment.
Santos was still competing in the Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil and Sudamericana, which increased the pressure on the available squad. Even so, sporting necessity does not change the sanction mechanism: while the ban is in force, any player traded by the club cannot be registered as a new athlete.
What São Paulo did differently
São Paulo entered this comparison on July 21, when it was punished by FIFA for not paying the first installment of the definitive purchase of Marcos Antônio, negotiated with Lazio.
The installment was €1.05 million and should have been paid on February 28th. During the blockade, the club was unable to register athletes who still depended on this stage, although reinforcements whose requests had been processed before the punishment were not affected in the same way.
The difference for Corinthians and Santos is that São Paulo managed to transform the financial issue into a completed solution within the window itself. On August 5, the club paid off the €1.05 million owed to Lazio. With the removal of the restriction, new registrations were once again permitted, paving the way to regularize players such as Domingos Duarte and Iago Borduchi.
The episode shows why “three clubs suffered transfer bans” does not mean that all three are in the same situation weeks later. FIFA's list is dynamic: the entity's administration can lift the restriction when the corresponding obligation is fulfilled.
The window clock weighs more for Corinthians and Santos
On August 10, there was just over a month left until the closing of the second Brazilian window, on September 11. For Corinthians and Santos, therefore, resolving the financial problem is not a discussion disconnected from football: it is the condition for being able to actually use the market in this window.
São Paulo has already gone through this stage and can continue with registrations. Santos has a concentrated blockade in the process involving Monaco. Corinthians faces a more fragmented situation, because it needs to eliminate restrictions of different origins and a partial solution does not free the club while another remains in force.
For the fan following the announcement, survey or agreement for a reinforcement, this is the decisive question until September: can the club register the player now? At the moment, among the three analyzed, the answer is yes for São Paulo and no for Corinthians and Santos.
