The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) addressed a dispute between Yeni Malatyaspor FK and a professional football player regarding the termination of an employment contract during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case centered on whether the pandemic constituted a force majeure event justifying unilateral contract amendments or non-performance. The FIFA COVID-19 Guidelines were examined but deemed insufficient as a standalone basis for altering binding contracts, as they did not classify the pandemic as a force majeure event exempting clubs from payment obligations. The player had terminated the contract due to unpaid salaries, which began before the pandemic's impact on sports, and the club failed to provide concrete evidence linking its financial difficulties directly to the pandemic. The FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) ruled in favor of the player, ordering the club to pay outstanding remuneration and breach compensation with interest. The club appealed to CAS, arguing that the pandemic caused a 30% decrease in seasonal revenues and that the player failed to mitigate losses by signing a new contract with Sporting KC. However, the CAS upheld the FIFA DRC's decision, emphasizing that the club did not meet the burden of proof required to invoke force majeure under Swiss law or FIFA regulations. The CAS reinforced the principle that contractual obligations remain binding unless proven otherwise under stringent legal standards, dismissing the club's appeal and all further motions. The ruling underscored the need for case-by-case assessment of pandemic-related claims, balancing contractual integrity with exceptional circumstances, and reaffirmed the authority of FIFA's dispute resolution mechanisms. The decision concluded the matter in favor of the player, bringing finality to the dispute.