Defunct Soccer League Gets Dubious Court Reception on Appeal (1)

A Second Circuit judge seemed to side with the argument that a defunct soccer league had to—and failed to—prove a relevant market to support its antitrust claims in a trial loss against US Soccer and Major League Soccer.

During oral arguments Wednesday, Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. said other cases have required plaintiffs to precisely define a market, a threshold question that determines whether a defendant has power to exclude rivals.

A federal jury in 2025 cleared US Soccer and business partner MLS of the allegations, saying there was no “relevant market” for the plaintiff’s allegations without reaching any other ...