By Mélanie Anzidei, Adam Crafton and Paul Tenorio
New York-based events promoter Relevent Sports will drop FIFA as a defendant in its antitrust lawsuit against FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation, according to a resolution between the parties filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
The resolution between Relevent and FIFA does not include US Soccer, which remains a defendant in the case which is still pending and could potentially be heard by the US Supreme Court.
It is the latest development in a case where a ruling could allow club teams around the world to play official league matches outside their home territory – an arrangement currently prohibited by FIFA statute.
In a statement to Athleticism, Relevent Sports reported that the deal was reached “while FIFA considers changes to its existing rules regarding the ability to play matches outside of a league’s home territory.”
“Relevent Sports looks forward to supporting FIFA as both parties work to grow the game,” the statement continued.
In a similarly worded statement, FIFA said it “has not admitted any liability and continues to deny the legal claims alleged in Relevent’s complaint.”
What is the context of this case?
Athleticism here is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand history of the case, explaining why the parties are locked in the legal battle and all the steps they took to get to this point.
What does the agreement between FIFA and Relevent say?
The filing states that Relevent and FIFA agreed that FIFA would no longer be a co-defendant in the lawsuit, calling for the “dismissal without prejudice of all claims asserted by Relevent against FIFA in the aforementioned action.” The filing also states that each party will pay its own attorney fees and costs.
Importantly, the agreement also states that FIFA agrees to be bound by any final decision as it applies to “any rules, policies or practices relating to official matches.” of the season organized away from the home of the league and the participating teams. territory.”
What does this mean for FIFA?
For FIFA, this appears, at least on the surface, to be a capitulation. When Relevent sought to bring two Spanish La Liga teams – Girona and Barcelona – to play a domestic championship match in Miami in 2018, the FIFA Council had decided that “official league matches must be played on the territory of the respective member association”.
While FIFA once seemed strongly opposed to moving domestic matches to the United States, that stance has now changed dramatically.
FIFA had previously joined US Soccer as a co-defendant, with the national association already accused of seeking to block the growth of Relevent’s business as a promoter, while the governing body was also accused of having a conflict of interests. As the national association of the United States, US Soccer has the authority to approve all professional soccer matches played on its territory and earn millions of dollars in fees for doing so.
Alarm bells may have rung within FIFA in July 2023, when a United States district judge ordered the completion of “fact discovery” in the case by late September 2024. Finding the facts can sometimes become a cumbersome or embarrassing affair for large organizations, as it can shed light on details they might prefer not to disclose to the public.
In a recent filing in Manhattan court on April 1, Relevent said it had reached an agreement with the USSF and was close to reaching an agreement with FIFA on the documents that would be requested for discovery. FIFA and Relevent’s agreement to drop FIFA as a defendant came days later.
Details of FIFA’s settlement were not disclosed but, notably, Relevent left the door open to restarting legal proceedings at any time, asking the court to dismiss the claims between the parties “without prejudice” .
Athleticism asked FIFA if this therefore implied that the world governing body is now open to domestic matches being played abroad, but FIFA did not respond.
And after?
The outcome of this case could allow teams to play official championship matches outside of their respective home territories, meaning teams around the world could soon consider hosting matches in the United States.
FIFA already hosts major club soccer matches in the United States with the Men’s Club World Cup scheduled for summer 2025, but this competition represents a new format of an already global tournament, rather than a domestic league .
Europe’s major leagues have long sought to capitalize on the huge U.S. trade market with summer preseason tours. The Premier League played a “Summer Series” with six teams in the United States last year and sold out NFL stadiums across the country. A “Summer Champions Tour” is organized this summer with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and AC Milan. With the World Cup taking place in the United States in 2026, business opportunities will only grow.
Statements from FIFA and Relevent seemed to indicate that the deal would pave the way for changes in FIFA policy, but leagues could still face pushback from fans and other stakeholders to move the matches outside their country of origin. In 2018, after La Liga and Relevent announced that matches would be played in the United States, the Spanish Footballers’ Association issued a statement denouncing the decision.
However, this refusal may not matter. In 2022, relevant CEO Daniel Sillman told the Spanish press“I can assure you that before the 2026 World Cup there will be official La Liga matches on North American soil.”
(Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Premier League)