Relevent Sports v. U.S. Soccer: Settlement and FIFA Framework

The Relevent Sports v. U.S. Soccer settlement, filed as a voluntary dismissal with prejudice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 9, 2025, ended a six-year antitrust fight and removed the last major legal barrier to foreign leagues playing regular-season matches on American soil. Financial terms were not disclosed.¹²

What the Lawsuit Was About

In 2018, Relevent Sports, a New York-based sports company controlled by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, tried to stage a La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Girona at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The match never happened. The Spanish Football Federation refused to sanction it, and both FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation opposed it under a FIFA Council policy adopted in October 2018 requiring official league matches to be played within the territory of the respective member association.¹

Relevent tried again with an Ecuadorian league fixture between Barcelona SC and Guayaquil City. The USSF refused to sanction that one too. In September 2019, Relevent sued the USSF and FIFA in the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:19-cv-8359), alleging the two bodies had conspired to divide geographic markets in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The complaint also accused the USSF of favoring Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of MLS, by shutting Relevent out as a competing promoter.³¹

How the Case Reached a Settlement

The suit almost died at the outset. In July 2020, a federal judge dismissed it, finding the USSF was simply following FIFA’s rules and no illegal conspiracy had been shown. Relevent appealed.

In March 2023, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed. It held that when a membership organization like FIFA adopts a mandatory rule and its members agree to follow it, that agreement alone can be enough to allege concerted anticompetitive action under the Sherman Act. The ruling lowered the pleading bar for plaintiffs challenging rules imposed by trade associations and sports governing bodies. The USSF asked the Supreme Court to take the case, and the Solicitor General filed a brief arguing the USSF was not merely a passive follower of FIFA policy, but the Court denied certiorari on April 22, 2024, leaving the Second Circuit’s ruling intact.⁴

Rather than head to trial, Relevent resolved the case in two stages. First, in April 2024, it reached a separate settlement with FIFA, dropping the governing body as a co-defendant. As part of that deal, FIFA agreed to consider changes to its territorial rule and later formed a working group to develop new policies.⁵

A year later, on April 9, 2025, Relevent moved to dismiss its remaining claims against the USSF with prejudice, permanently surrendering its right to refile them. A USSF spokesperson said the federation was pleased to “put this matter behind us.” An attorney for Relevent declined to elaborate on the terms. With both FIFA and the USSF out of the litigation, Relevent CEO Danny Sillman said there was “no legal impediment” to holding foreign league matches in the United States.⁵¹

Why No Foreign League Game Has Happened Yet

La Liga moved first. The Spanish league announced Barcelona versus Villarreal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for December 20, 2025, and framed the event as the first in what it hoped would be an annual international fixture. League president Javier Tebas said the court resolution prevented governing bodies from blocking the game.⁶

The match was scrapped in October 2025 before any tickets went on sale. Relevent said it would have been “irresponsible to begin selling tickets without a confirmed match in place.” UEFA had given reluctant approval, noting FIFA’s rules were “not clear and detailed enough” to justify blocking it. But Real Madrid formally asked FIFA and other governing bodies to intervene, players across La Liga staged protests citing a “lack of transparency,” and the Spanish government and football federation drew pressure from fans and clubs to stop the game.⁷⁸

FIFA’s Draft Framework for Overseas Matches

The FIFA working group formed after the 2024 settlement has been drafting formal rules. In March 2026, FIFA circulated a proposal titled “FIFA Regulations on Match and Competition Approval” that would impose significant guardrails. Under the draft, leagues would be limited to one out-of-territory fixture per season, and host nations could stage no more than five such foreign league matches per year. Any game would require sign-off from a chain of authorities: the league’s own federation, its continental confederation, the host country’s federation, the host confederation, and finally FIFA, which would keep veto power.⁹¹⁰

The draft also requires applications six months before the match date, profit-sharing plans among participating clubs and domestic rivals, financial compensation or travel assistance for supporters who would miss a home game, and a reciprocity commitment: a league that plays a match in the U.S. must offer the host country’s league a chance to stage one in return. The one-game cap would not apply to Super Cup matches. As of mid-2026, FIFA is collecting feedback and aims to finalize the rules before the upcoming season, though no vote has been scheduled.⁹¹⁰

Which Leagues Want In

Several European leagues have said publicly they want to host a regular-season game in the United States. None has done it yet.

La Liga remains described as the frontrunner despite the canceled Miami fixture, with Tebas saying he intends to make an official game happen and executives stating they are “really close.”¹¹
Serie A has been vocal about wanting to be first. Commercial director Michele Ciccarese estimated in March 2025 that a match could happen within one to two years, pending approvals, while acknowledging the league would avoid moving culturally significant fixtures such as the Milan derby.¹²
The Premier League and Bundesliga are considered unlikely early adopters because of strong resistance from their domestic fan bases.¹³
Mexico’s Liga MX has no formal plans, partly because it is a commercial partner of MLS through Soccer United Marketing.¹³

Where Things Stand

As of mid-2026, no foreign league regular-season match has been played in the United States. The legal obstacles are gone: the Relevent settlements removed both the USSF and FIFA as blockers. The practical and political ones have proven harder. FIFA’s draft framework remains under review, the one scheduled match was canceled before tickets went on sale, and leagues continue to face resistance from fans, players, rival clubs, and their own federations. Relevent and league officials have said they expect matches to materialize sometime in 2026, though no concrete fixture has been announced.¹³

1
ESPN. USSF Relevent Settlement Clears Path for Foreign League Games
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Bloomberg Law. US Soccer, Relevent Sports Reach Settlement in FIFA Match Case
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The Guardian. Relevent US Soccer Settlement Clears Way for European League Games in US
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SCOTUSblog. United States Soccer Federation Inc v Relevent Sports LLC
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The Athletic. Relevent Sports US Soccer Lawsuit Settlement
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Fox Sports. Spain’s La Liga Plans to Make Its International Match an Annual Event
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ESPN. LaLiga Barcelona Villarreal Game Miami USA Cancel
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Yahoo Sports. LaLiga Cancels Barcelona vs Villarreal Match Scheduled for Miami
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The Athletic. Football Games Abroad FIFA
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SportsPro. FIFA Domestic League Games Overseas Proposal Draft
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The Athletic. La Liga Serie A Premier League Matches USA FIFA Relevent
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ESPN. Serie A Italy Executive Outlines Plans to Host Games USA
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ESPN. Relevent US Soccer Federation Settlement Foreign Leagues Coming America