The Deal
Relevent Sports, the global sports events promoter, has now settled its antitrust lawsuit with US Soccer to end a long-running dispute with the national governing body.
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The settlement was disclosed in a filing with the US District Court in Manhattan last week (April 10). The filing did not reveal the terms of the agreement.
Relevent had initially filed an antitrust lawsuit against US Soccer and world soccer's governing body FIFA in 2019, claiming that their refusal to permit the staging of international regular-season soccer matches in the US was unlawful.
The firm had accused the respective organizations of an illegal conspiracy to restrict where teams play and of blocking foreign leagues and clubs from staging competitive games in the US.
Why it matters
Combined with an earlier settlement with FIFA just over a year ago, this agreement means the path now has been cleared for Relevent to – potentially – organize foreign league matches in the US.
In April 2024, Relevent, controlled by the NFL’s Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, settled with FIFA, and the global soccer body agreed to consider changing its rules about whether games can be played outside a league's home territory.
Such matches must also be approved by the national federations of the individual league as well as that of the country where the match will be played.
FIFA had first announced its foreign match policy in October 2018, after Relevent attempted to arrange with Spain's LaLiga to host a regular season match between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, Florida, as part of a commercial rights deal between the pair.
Relevent and LaLiga, in the years following, made two further attempts to stage league matches in the US, but both were rebuffed by a combination of FIFA, US Soccer, and the Spanish national soccer federation.
Then, FIFA announced last May that it was forming a 10-to-15-member working group that would "consider a revised legal framework at FIFA level dealing with i) rules, procedures and processes for authorizing interclub football matches or competitions, and ii) criteria to be applied for authorizing such matches or competitions.”
Several teams already play friendly matches in the US, including through Relevent’s International Champions Cup friendly tournament. Multiple top-tier European sides appear in that annual tournament in the build-up to their domestic seasons.
With the upcoming revamped FIFA Club World Cup taking place in the US this summer and the World Cup being hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2026, many European leagues and clubs are viewing the North American market as a hotbed of commercial growth opportunities.
Several leagues and clubs have opened offices in the US to capitalize on the growth of soccer in the region and the increased attention around the sport with multiple major tournaments on the horizon.
Conrad Wiacek, head of analysis at GlobalData Sport, has commented: “The cessation of hostilities between US Soccer, FIFA, and Relevant Sports paves the way for European soccer leagues to try and attempt to break the world’s largest sports market, the United States.
“The commercial opportunities presented by the US appeal to European clubs who are desperate to find new revenue streams and new audiences. With FIFA, through the 2026 World Cup, and UEFA through their new partnership with Relevant looking to crack the US, the European soccer clubs will be looking to use those events as a Trojan horse to bully their way into ever greater riches.
“LaLiga and the English Premier League (EPL) have long targeted the US, with LaLiga wanting to take a competitive game to the US and the EPL using its Summer Series tour as a means of hosting friendly games in the country. Following the example of the NFL and the NBA in staging competitive games in diverse countries, the dismissal of the court cases clears the way for a European invasion.”
The details
Relevent’s case against US Soccer was initially dismissed by a US judge in 2021 but revived by the federal appeals court in Manhattan in 2023.
Last week’s filing with the US District Court in Manhattan read: “Plaintiff Relevent Sports, LLC voluntarily dismisses the above-captioned matter, with prejudice, as to Defendant United States Soccer Federation, Inc.”
The term “with prejudice” means that Relevent is barred from refiling the same claim or lawsuit against US Soccer in the future.
Danny Sillman, Relevent’s chief executive, said in a statement: “We appreciate US Soccer's collaboration in reaching this settlement. Ultimately, we all share the same goal: growing the sport throughout America. We're excited to continue supporting clubs from Europe and around the world to expand the sport's reach and impact across the US.”
Relevent has become a major player in soccer and was recently confirmed as the exclusive commercial rights holder for UEFA’s array of men's club competitions between 2027 and 2033, replacing long-time UEFA partner Team Marketing.
If the firm succeeds in putting on European league matches in the US, it could open up further partnerships with major sports properties.
Last September, meanwhile, Relevent followed up its long-term tie-up with LaLiga by announcing a strategic partnership with the DFL German league body.
The DFL teamed up with the global sports and media rights company to expand its commercial activities in the Americas region.
