Less than a month before the World Cup kicks off in Germany, a Belgian court will deliver its ruling today in a landmark case between FIFA and Europe's richest clubs.

Belgian team Charleroi, backed by the G14 which represents 18 of the world's richest clubs, are seeking compensation after one of their players was injured on international duty.

Sources close to the case have told Reuters the three judges will probably refer the case to the European Court of Justice, leaving the decision hanging like a dark cloud waiting to burst over football's greatest event.

The last major case in football to be referred to the European Union's highest court also started in Belgium and that decision just over a decade ago shook the sport to its foundations.

The 'Bosman' ruling, after a case brought by Jean-Marc Bosman, gave players the choice to move freely between clubs when out of contract, increasing player power enormously.

Charleroi are seeking compensation after Moroccan Abdelmajid Oulmers was ruled out for eight months following a friendly against Burkina Faso in November 2004.

The club say the loss of the player hindered their chances of success in the Belgian league and cup.

FIFA says there is no link between the injury of Oulmers and where Charleroi finished in the league last season, fifth. They even turned down an 11th-hour settlement offer by Charleroi on the eve of this new case.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.