Championship games of European football leagues in the United States are becoming more and more likely. A legal hurdle has now been cleared out of the way.
Championship games European leagues in the United States are always more likely. A legal hurdle has now been cleared out of the way.
The marketing agency relevant Sports and the US Football Association US Soccer settled a legal dispute that started in 2019. Details of the comparison are not known, but the core message according to the agreement confirmed by a court in New York is: The way is clear that Real Madrid will soon play against FC Barcelona in New York, or FC Chelsea against Liverpool FC, or AC Milan against Inter. Competition games under the roof of the German Football League (DFL) could soon be held in New York, Los Angeles or Miami.
The US Soccer Association was faced with an action for antitrust rights because it was primarily banned to protect other associations to protect the local Major League Soccer (MLS). So far, the consent of the National Association is still mandatory according to the regulations of FIFA, just like that of the responsible continental association, in the case of the United States the Concacaf (counterpart to the European Association UEFA).
However, the World Association FIFA used a working group that deals with a change in this clause, also under the legal pressure of relevance. In October 2024, FIFA announced that “in the coming months” was to be expected with a result. It can be expected that the way to league games on other continents will soon be completely level. This is indicated by FIFA’s use of language, which relates to the ECJ judgment to the Super League with regard to the working group. After that it requires one “Non-discriminatory and transparent procedure” in the permission of competitions and games.
The big football will be a guest in the USA in the coming months
Representatives of relevent and US Soccer welcomed the agreement that was made on April 9, 2025 in their antitrust law. The comparison will lead to football continuing to grow on one of the most important markets. The prerequisites for this seem better than ever. The club World Cup bloated on 32 teams will be held in the United States in the summer of 2025, the World Cup for men’s national teams a year later even has 48 participants.
The Champions League soon also markets relevant relevant
Relevant is one of the very big players in sports marketing. From the 2027/28 season, the agency will market the competitions in the European Cup, including the Champions League. The company, based in the USA, replaced “Team Marketing”, which worked with the UEFA for more than 30 years.
Relevant boss Stephen Ross
Relevant has also been working with the DFL since 2024. The agency is intended to promote the marketing of German professional football in North America. So far, league games in the USA or on other continents have excluded the DFL. At the Supercup, which the master and cup winner plays, the umbrella organization has recently been in the Game “Also the right to name a stadium abroad as a venue”.
Barcelona was supposed to play in the USA in 2019
The legal disputes between relevant and football associations go back to a plan from 2018. Relevant the game of the Spanish La Liga between FC Barcelona and FC Girona in January 2019 in Miami. In the stadium there, the Miami Dolphins play from the NFL, which belongs to Stephen Ross. The 84-year-old American multimilliarist was a co-founder of relevant in 2012 and is still on the board of the marketing agency today.
The Spanish Football Association RFEF (counterpart to the DFB) made its veto at the time, so that the discontinuation in Miami was not possible.
Close connections to the USA European top European clubs
International top clubs have been a guest in the United States for years to play lucrative test games. The English Premier League, from which half of the 20 clubs are led by US investors, uses relevant for marketing.
The way to English league games in the USA, as in the case of the Bundesliga, should be further than with La Liga and also the Italian series A. League President Ezio Simonelli aggressively announced that Serie A wants to be the first of the European top leagues that want to play the championship games in the USA. “This is definitely our goal,” said Simonelli.
AC Milan, which has belonged to the investment company Redbird since 2022, is the first interested party. The company, based in New York, also holds the majority of the shares at FC Toulouse from French Ligue 1. Redbird is also involved in the Fenway Sports Group, which in turn has Liverpool FC.