Relevent, US Soccer settlement clears way for European league games in US
The long-running legal saga between the US Soccer Federation and US-based sports event promoter Relevent Sports is at its end, after Relevent filed on 9 April to dismiss the case from federal court, where it had been argued since 2019.
The case represented the last remaining legal hurdle to allowing worldwide domestic soccer leagues to play regular-season games within the United States, and its dismissal with prejudice means the path is now cleared for those games to take place should the leagues, clubs and fans allow it.
The two sides had been in discussions to dismiss the case since Relevent agreed to a settlement without prejudice with Fifa, who were at one point co-defendants in the suit that alleged antitrust violations. Relevent's contention, broadly, was that US Soccer's refusal to sanction foreign domestic league games in the United States, and Fifa's policy barring domestic league games from taking place outside their home territory, amounted to violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
The terms of the settlement between US Soccer and Relevent are not yet known.
'We are pleased to put this matter behind us as we remain focused on growing the game and harnessing the momentum of US Soccer ahead of next year's World Cup,' US Soccer said in a statement to the Guardian.
A relevent spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but CEO Danny Stillman told ESPN in a statement that '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's suit against Fifa and US Soccer has its roots in a 2018 attempt by the promoter to hold a La Liga game, Barcelona v Girona, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which like Relevent is owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. When Fifa announced its policy barring domestic leagues from holding games abroad later that year, Barcelona withdrew from its commitment. Relevent later attempted to hold an Ecuadorian league game in the US, and when US Soccer denied sanctioning for the match due to Fifa policy, Relevent filed suit against US Soccer and later added Fifa as a defendant.
The suit was initially dimissed in July 2021 before being revived on appeal in 2023. Relevent and Fifa agreed to drop the worldwide governing body from the suit a year ago. A month later, Fifa announced a 'working group' intended to issue recommendations regarding the organization's international match policy.
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Uefa announced earlier this year that it had tapped Relevent to be its worldwide commercial sales partner until 2033, making it responsible for the media rights and other business aspects of the Champions League and other Uefa club competitions. Relevent also holds long-term commercial rights deals with the German Bundesliga and EFL (both signed in 2024) and Spain's La Liga (signed in 2018). The company is also responsible for organizing and promoting the Premier League's Summer Series that brings teams to the USA in the offseason for friendlies.
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