Statement from North American Soccer League

The North American Soccer League (NASL) respects the jury process and appreciates the time and effort of those who served.  However, we believe that fundamental legal errors prevented the jury from considering key evidence and applying the correct legal standards.  

 

While NASL may not have achieved the desired verdict at trial, the scrutiny we placed on the leadership of the U.S. Soccer Federation has been a meaningful achievement in and of itself. The attention we helped bring to the management and governance challenges within the Federation contributed to important changes, beginning with a change in leadership in 2018 and culminating in U.S. Soccer ending its commercial rights partnership with MLS-owned Soccer United Marketing in 2022.  These developments reflect the very concerns NASL sought to address in this litigation.

 

Our efforts to confront U.S. Soccer’s many conflicts of interest have also contributed to broader discussions and progress on key issues, including equal pay for the U.S. Women’s National Team players and the creation of the USL Super League, a competitive first-division soccer league that expands playing opportunities for female athletes.

 

Despite attempts by MLS and U.S. Soccer to frame this case as a distraction, the reality is that our fight has always been about creating a fair and open soccer landscape – one that fosters true merit-based competition rather than reinforcing a closed, monopolistic system.  We remain committed to challenging entrenched power structures that suppress opportunity and limit the growth of the sport in the United States.

 

While Monday's ruling is a setback, it is not the end of this fight.  We will continue to assess all legal options, including an appeal, to ensure that American soccer is governed in a way that benefits all players, clubs and fans.