Jamaican striker Rimario Gordon (in yellow) during the match between Thanh Hoa FC and SHB Da Nang in the V. League at Thanh Hoa Stadium on Aug. 17, 2025. Photo by VPF

FIFA sent a formal notice to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on Sept. 10 regarding its ruling on the contract dispute between Rimario and Thanh Hoa. The decision upheld part of the player's claim, ordering the club to pay $305,000 to cover unpaid salary, bonuses and signing-on fees. The club must also pay 5% of the annual interest rate calculated from June 18, 2026.

Thanh Hoa have the right to request a detailed written explanation of the disciplinary decision from FIFA within 10 days of receiving the notice. The club may later appeal to the FIFA Appeal Committee. Should the appeal be rejected, Thanh Hoa can take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If the ruling goes against them again, the club will face heavier penalties and must pay $20,000 in legal costs.

If the club choose not to appeal, they have 45 days from the receipt of the detailed disciplinary notice to pay Rimario. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a ban on registering new players for the next three transfer windows, covering the mid-season window of the 2026-2027 season, and the pre-season and mid-season windows of the 2027-2028 season. If the debt remains unpaid after these three windows, the case will be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for further sanctions.

Born in Jamaica in 1994, Rimario began his football career while studying in the U.S. before moving to Vietnam. He has been active in Vietnamese football since 2018, scoring 76 goals in 166 matches for six different clubs. He joined Hoang Anh Gia Lai in 2018, followed by stints at Thanh Hoa, Hanoi FC, Binh Dinh FC, Hai Phong FC, and Becamex HCMC (formerly Becamex Binh Duong).

Rimario returned to Thanh Hoa for the 2023-2024 season. After doing well for two seasons, the club faced financial difficulties starting in the 2025-2026 season when chairman Cao Tien Doan became embroiled in legal trouble. This turning point resulted in unpaid salaries and signing-on fees for many players. Rimario subsequently refused to train or play and left the team in April 2026. The 32-year-old striker currently plays for The Cong Viettel.

Rimario filed his complaint against Thanh Hoa in May, leading FIFA to temporarily ban the club from registering new players before the restriction was lifted. Since the beginning of 2026, Thanh Hoa have faced five complaints filed with FIFA by five players, resulting in two notifications of player registration bans. Another Vietnamese club that were banned by FIFA from registering new players are Cong An Ha Noi.

Thanh Hoa FC underwent a transfer of ownership in August. The current chairman of the club is Le Xuan Tuong. Sources indicate the new management took over the team with the request that the former leadership resolve debts and address the transfer ban, which means the responsibility to pay Rimario falls on the previous administration.

A similar situation occurred at Thanh Hoa in 2021 when a previous ownership transition led to a dispute over nearly $260,000 owed to head coach Fabio Lopez and his staff. Provincial authorities and the local football federation had to intervene to resolve the matter.