09-04-2025
US Soccer settles sports promoter Relevent's antitrust lawsuit
April 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Soccer Federation has settled an antitrust lawsuit by a soccer events promoter that accused it of illegally banning foreign clubs and leagues from holding official matches in the United States.
The settlement with Relevent Sports was disclosed in a Wednesday filing with the U.S. district court in Manhattan. The filing did not reveal terms of the accord.
here.
U.S. Soccer, which has denied any wrongdoing in the litigation, said in a statement that it remained "focused on growing the game."
A lawyer for Relevent, Jeffrey Kessler of law firm Winston & Strawn, declined to comment.
Relevent filed the lawsuit in 2019, accusing U.S. Soccer of conspiring with FIFA, the sport's international governing body, to bar official foreign matches in the United States.
U.S. Soccer has argued that it played no role as a FIFA member in forming the 2018 policy at the heart of the case, under which foreign teams can hold only 'friendly' matches in the United States that do not count for standings.
The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 revived Relevent's lawsuit, which a judge had dismissed in 2021.
U.S. Soccer unsuccessfully challenged the appeals court order at the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
At the high court, U.S. Soccer argued that the appeals court improperly ruled that the organization could be held liable as a member of FIFA for agreeing to the rules of its association.
The justices last year declined U.S. Soccer's petition challenging the appeals court order.
FIFA last year settled with Relevent, but the terms were not disclosed.
The case is Relevent Sports LLC v. United States Soccer Federation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 1:19-cv-08359-JAV.
For Relevent: Jeffrey Kessler and Jonathan Amoona of Winston & Strawn
For U.S. Soccer: Lawrence Buterman and Christopher Yates of Latham & Watkins
US Supreme Court won't hear U.S. Soccer case over hosting foreign matches
FIFA resolves lawsuit by sports promoter owned by billionaire Ross
