FIFA, U.S. Soccer Beat Antitrust Claims Over Foreign Match Ban

U.S. Soccer Federation Inc. and the sport’s global governing body FIFA shook off claims Tuesday of conspiring to prevent foreign teams from playing official matches in the U.S.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association issued a directive in October 2018 prohibiting the staging of official season games outside of the participant league’s home country. It said this was consistent with its statutes that require official games to take place in the league’s home territory absent “exceptional circumstances.”

But U.S. Soccer’s compliance with the policy doesn’t prove an unlawful agreement between it and FIFA that would violate U.S. antitrust law, Judge Valerie ...