Jean-Philippe Mateta has challenged the validity of the final year of his Crystal Palace contract, arguing that the optional extension activated by the club should be void. An independent Premier League tribunal is understood to have found the contract remained binding, while Fifa has said it cannot overturn the agreement; the dispute matters because success could have made Mateta a free agent before June 2027.

Mateta, 29, joined Palace from Mainz in 2021 and signed permanently in January 2022 on a four-and-a-half-year deal with a one-year option, which Palace activated in 2024. He has scored 67 goals for the club and was close to joining AC Milan in January, but the move collapsed over a knee issue; Palace also began the season with a 2-0 defeat at Everton, injury concerns for Ismaila Sarr and a serious-looking knee injury to Chadi Riad.