Ramadan Sobhi, the Pyramids FC and Egypt international player, has received another major blow in his anti-doping case after his appeal against a four-year suspension was rejected, leaving the sanction previously imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, known as CAS, in place.

According to reports published on Sunday, September 20, 2026, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by Sobhi's legal team against the CAS ruling. This means that the four-year ban remains in effect and has not been overturned through this legal route.

Sobhi had taken the case to the Swiss court after the CAS decision, hoping to cancel the punishment or reopen questions related to the procedures and evidence surrounding the case.

Ekramy El-Shahat confirmed that the appeal had been rejected, while other reports said the player's legal team was preparing to study another legal petition in an attempt to find a new path to challenge the current situation.

From Sample to Ban

The case began in August 2023, when Ramadan Sobhi underwent an anti-doping test during a Pyramids training session outside official competition.

One of the samples raised concerns over its characteristics and whether there had been manipulation or an attempt to manipulate it. This led to further procedures and an investigation under anti-doping regulations.

Sobhi provided another sample a short time later, and the case continued to develop during the following months. In March 2024, the player was officially informed that there was suspicion of an anti-doping rule violation.

In May 2024, Sobhi was provisionally suspended while investigations and hearing procedures continued, keeping him away from playing for Pyramids during that period.

However, in July 2024, the Egyptian anti-doping hearing panel ruled that there was not enough evidence to establish the violation to the required standard. His temporary suspension was therefore lifted, allowing him to return to football.

The case did not end there. The World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, appealed the Egyptian decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in September 2024.

CAS reviewed the case over several months before issuing its decision on November 26, 2025. It overturned the earlier Egyptian ruling and imposed a four-year suspension on Ramadan Sobhi after finding that an anti-doping rule violation had taken place in connection with the sample.

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The period Sobhi had already spent under provisional suspension is also counted as part of the total suspension period, according to the reported details of the case.

After the CAS ruling, Sobhi's legal team decided to appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. His lawyers argued that there were issues related to the procedures and evidence that, in their view, had not been fully presented during the earlier stages of the case.

The appeal remained undecided for several months before the latest development confirmed its rejection, leaving the CAS sanction in place.

Contract and Future

The impact of the case is not limited to Ramadan Sobhi's absence from matches, as the suspension has also affected his contractual position with Pyramids FC.

According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Egyptian media, Sobhi's contract with Pyramids has been placed on hold during his suspension because of restrictions preventing a suspended player from taking part in football-related activities during the punishment period.

Sobhi's contract with Pyramids was originally set to continue until 2028. However, the length of the suspension has made his contractual situation another important part of the case and its consequences.

The rejection of the latest appeal puts Sobhi's football future in a very difficult position, especially after the case passed through the Egyptian anti-doping process, CAS, and then the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.

With the punishment remaining in place, the player will continue to be unavailable for official football during the period covered by the ruling, while the provisional suspension he previously served is counted toward the total length of the ban.

At the same time, the legal file may not be completely closed. Reports indicate that Sobhi's lawyers are considering a new petition or another possible legal step, although any future attempt will depend on the legal and procedural rules governing such cases.

The Ramadan Sobhi case has therefore entered another major chapter. What started with a sample collected in 2023 was followed by an Egyptian ruling in the player's favor, a successful WADA appeal before CAS, and now the rejection of his challenge before the Swiss court, leaving one of the toughest sanctions of his football career in place.