The record‑breaking attendance at the 48‑team men’s World Cup in North America has highlighted the United States as a lucrative market for elite football, and it may also be nudging FIFA toward a long‑standing controversy: whether domestic leagues can stage matches abroad.
World Cup numbers fuel the debate
Official figures show 6.8 million spectators filled stadiums for the tournament, with venues operating at 99.7 percent capacity. Ticket and hospitality sales generated roughly $3 billion, while an additional 5.5 million fans attended FIFA‑run fan festivals. The scale of the event reveals the appetite of American audiences for top‑tier football, a point noted by sports lawyer Adam Dale of Winston Taylor.
“I think the one thing the World Cup has again shown is that American fans will watch and pay for and consume top‑tier football,” Dale told City AM. “We see that as Lionel Messi makes his rounds in MLS, suddenly stadiums are full. I think it’s because we’re spoiled by the other leagues, right? There’s really no debate that the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL are the top‑tier leagues in the world.”
The lawyer added that while Major League Soccer (MLS) may never match those leagues, the success of the World Cup suggests European clubs could view the United States as a viable destination, much like the NFL’s occasional games in the United Kingdom.
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FIFA’s stance begins to shift
FIFA’s historic refusal to sanction overseas fixtures was effectively challenged in 2023 when marketing agency Relevent, which organizes pre‑season matches for European clubs in the U.S., won an antitrust case. The settlement required FIFA and U.S. Soccer to convene a working group to explore conditions for permitting such games.
Two years later, the group has not yet released recommendations, but discussions have included limiting leagues to one overseas match per season and capping host nations at five visiting fixtures. Any proposal would still need approval from the FIFA Council.
European governing body UEFA recently approved overseas games for LaLiga and Serie A, albeit reluctantly, after determining that FIFA’s rulebook offered insufficient legal grounds to block them. The plans were ultimately cancelled, but the episode illustrates the growing pressure on FIFA’s authority.
The desire to export matches is not limited to Spain or Italy. Insiders say France’s Ligue 1 may soon follow, while the English Premier League appears less inclined.
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What the shift could mean for the sport
For clubs, the prospect of playing in U.S. venues promises higher ticket revenues and expanded brand exposure. The World Cup demonstrated that American stadiums can fill quickly, a factor that could attract clubs seeking to grow their global fanbases.
From a legal perspective, the antitrust settlement sets a precedent that may limit FIFA’s ability to unilaterally block overseas games. Dale, who represented Relevent in the case, believes an opening is likely, even if the specifics remain unsettled.
“I do think it is inevitable that they will be allowed,” he said. “Whether leagues, federations and players ultimately decide that it’s something they’d like to do is a different question.”
Ultimately, FIFA remains the gatekeeper. The organization could still impose restrictive clauses, but doing so might appear both legally fragile and damaging to its public image. As Dale put it, “FIFA could do whatever they want. They’ll find a clause… it would be a very very poor decision, both legally and from a public relations perspective, for FIFA to do that.”