Fifa have ruled that Cardiff must pay 6million euros (£5.3million) to Nantes for Emiliano Sala.
Sala died in a plane crash in January while travelling from France to join Cardiff.
A £15m fee had been previously agreed but the Bluebirds, who were in the Premier League at the time, argued they were not liable for the fee because Sala was not officially their player when he died.
A Fifa panel have now met to rule on the dispute with the two clubs have failed to reach agreement on settling payment.
A declaration from world football’s governing body said: “In a meeting held on 25 September 2019 the FIFA Players’ Status Committee established that Cardiff City FC must pay FC Nantes the sum of EUR 6,000,000, corresponding to the first instalment due in accordance with the transfer agreement concluded between the parties on 19 January 2019 for the transfer of the late Emiliano Sala from FC Nantes to Cardiff City FC.
“The FIFA Players’ Status Committee, which never lost sight of the specific and unique circumstances of this tragic situation during its deliberations on the dispute at stake, refrained from imposing procedural costs on the parties.
“The findings of the decision were notified to the parties concerned today.
“Within a deadline of 10 days, Cardiff City FC and FC Nantes can request a copy of the grounds of the decision, which can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.”
Sala and pilot David Ibbotson crashed in January while travelling from Nantes to Cardiff.
The plane crashed in the English Channel and toxicology tests on Sala’s body showed carbon monoxide levels in his blood were so great it could have caused a seizure, unconsciousness or a heart attack.
Ibbotson’s body has not been found with the pair flying in a Piper Malibu aircraft.
