According to Reuters, FIFA has reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit where they were accused of unlawfully prohibiting foreign clubs and leagues from holding official matches in the United States. The settlement with Relevent Sports, a sports promoter owned by billionaire Stephen Ross, was revealed in a filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. This came after the federal appeals court in Manhattan revived Relevent’s case, which had initially been dismissed in 2021. The U.S. Soccer Federation remains a defendant in the lawsuit.
Representatives for FIFA and U.S. Soccer have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the settlement. In a statement, Relevent mentioned that FIFA will review its rules on games being played outside a league’s designated territory. Some European and South American teams already participate in exhibition matches in the U.S., but it is uncertain if this settlement will enable non-U.S. teams to play regular season matches there.
FIFA introduced its policy on foreign matches in 2018 after an attempt by Relevent to host a regular season game between FC Barcelona and Girona FC in Miami. While Barcelona eventually backed out, Relevent filed a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer in 2019 after a match between two Ecuadorean teams in Miami was cancelled. FIFA was later added as a defendant in the case. Relevent, headquartered in New York, also organizes the International Champions Cup.
The possibility of foreign teams playing regular season matches in the U.S. could attract fans and sponsors away from MLS, which is affiliated with FIFA. The popularity of MLS received a boost when soccer icon Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami last year after helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup. The U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, is set to co-host the 2026 men’s World Cup.
The lawsuit is officially known as Relevent Sports LLC v U.S. Soccer Federation Inc et al, and it is being heard in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, under case number 19-08359.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chris Reese
