FIF7 prevails in International WIPO proceeding, with a finding of bad faith and abuse by the complainants

FIF7 officially announces the conclusion of WIPO administrative proceeding Case No. D2026-2605 concerning the domain names fif7football7.com and football7official.com.

The dispute was initiated by David Daniel Balcorta and International Football Association (IFA7) / International Football Association Ltd., who sought the transfer of both domain names, claiming prior rights in the identifiers concerned.

From the outset of the proceeding, Hugo Loureiro and FIF7 submitted a comprehensive response supported by historical documents, registrations, correspondence, and publications demonstrating the origin and development of the international Football 7 project.

The evidence established that Hugo Loureiro had been developing the sport internationally through Football 7 Worldwide since 2011; that Daniel Balcorta requested authorization and recognition in 2014 to develop Football 7 in Canada; and that the FIF7 identity was adopted and publicly used by Hugo Loureiro years before the rights subsequently invoked by the Complainants were established.

The decision also recognized evidence that the FIF7 designation had been publicly used by Hugo Loureiro’s organization since at least 2018; that the domain name fif7official.com was already in use in 2021; and that there was no evidence that fif7football7.com had been registered to target or exploit any rights held by Daniel Balcorta or IFA7.

In its decision dated August 13, 2026, the WIPO Administrative Panel denied the Complaint in its entirety. As a result, both domain names remain under the control of Hugo Loureiro.

Beyond denying the requested transfer, the Panel expressly declared:

“The Complaint has been brought in bad faith and constitutes an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.”

The Panel concluded that the Complainants knew or should reasonably have known that the Complaint had no reasonable prospect of success. It also found that the Complaint relied either on trademark rights that did not exist at the relevant time or on claims of unregistered trademark rights that were unsupported by the required evidence.

The decision further clarified that copyright registrations do not, by themselves, constitute trademark rights for the purposes of the UDRP, and that the Complainants had not submitted sufficient evidence showing that they had publicly used FIF7 as a trademark capable of identifying them in the marketplace.

A finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking does not result merely from losing a proceeding. It is a specific and serious determination made when the UDRP is used in bad faith in an attempt to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name.

With this decision, the UDRP administrative proceeding concerning fif7football7.com and football7official.com has been conclusively resolved in favor of Hugo Loureiro and FIF7.

FIF7 respects international institutions, trusts in justice, and reaffirms its commitment to truth, legal certainty, and the responsible development of Football 7 worldwide.

The organization will remain focused on expanding the sport, organizing international competitions, and creating opportunities for athletes, officials, partners, and national organizations.

FIF7 – Fédération Internationale de Football 7
August 24, 2026

WIPO administrative proceeding Case No. D2026-2605