Antitrust Litigation Between NASL and USSF & MLS: Case Dismissed After Jury Verdict

North American Soccer League v. United States Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, no. 1:17-cv-05495

Date of the decision: 2025-02-03

On 3 February 2025, a federal jury dismissed NASL’s antitrust lawsuit against USSF and MLS, marking the end of a legal battle that began in 2017. NASL had accused the governing body and the league of conspiring to block its access to Division I and suppress competition. However, the jury found that NASL failed to prove the existence of relevant antitrust markets, reinforcing MLS’s status as the sole Division I league in the U.S.

Introduction

On 3 February 2025, a federal jury in the U.S. District...

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