Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, Chivas vs. America and the biggest league matches we'd like to see in USA

We're now one step closer to foreign leagues being able to host soccer matches in the United States as Relevent Sports has settled its antitrust lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday, according to ESPN. Alongside a similar settlement with FIFA in 2023, this paves the way for foreign league matches to be held in the United States.

The original case revolves around Barcelona attempting to play a La Liga match in the United States versus Girona in 2018, which wasn't allowed due to a FIFA rule barring foreign clubs from hosting domestic matches outside of their official league territories. The case was built that FIFA's rule restrained competition by not allowing these matches to happen in other countries.

Along with settling with FIFA, Relevent Sports has set the stage for a potentially groundbreaking scenario where domestic matches can take place in the United States. Only time will tell which ones will take the chance but it doesn't mean that we can't begin to speculate. The Club World Cup and World Cup will already bring top teams and players to the United States over the next few years ,which makes this a great time to examine what if things went a step further to regular season matches.

Matches of this nature are nothing new to Americans with the NFL playing games in Germany, England, Brazil and Mexico, with games scheduled for Spain and Ireland this upcoming season. The NBA has also hosted games in France without disrupting their regular seasons, while also having games in the past in Japan, Mexico, and England. Soccer does have a little more to deal with given the presence of domestic league and cup competitions as well as continental competitions like the Champions League, but during slower periods of the season, there's every chance that games could be moved, making this a good time to look at clashes that we'd like to see if it did happen.

The North London Derby

English teams have a serious foothold in the United States and few teams in the world have a bigger American fan base than Arsenal. Bringing the North London Derby vs. Tottenham to the United States would be an unreal affair and a must-have ticket even for fans who are neutral. It'd be a tough sell moving a rivalry like this out of England but when these games would call for the best of the best to play in America, the NLD would be a targeted fixture.

Liverpool versus Manchester City

While not a rivalry in the regional sense, these two teams will be the only Premier League champions since the 2017-18 season if Liverpool can maintain their current advantage atop the league. They've become well acquainted with each other, fighting in the Premier League for all of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City tenure. It may not have the same draw as Guardiola versus Jurgen Klopp, but that doesn't mean that these two teams can't bring top billing, depending on the day.

Mexico's biggest rivalry

Technically, with the creation of the Leagues Cup, Chivas and Club America can meet in a match in the United States, but the uncertainty of a cup final is quite different than marking your schedule for a Liga MX match. Given the draws that both Mexican clubs and the national team have had in the United States, even garnering higher attendances than the United States men's national team, it would seem like a no-brainer to get more Mexican clashes in the United States if it's possible. It doesn't get much bigger in Mexican soccer than Chivas and America, so being able to get a match like that on the schedule would equal an immediate sellout.

The Superclasico

Another rival that may be a tough sell to move outside is its home country of Argentina, but when Boca Juniors and River Plate meet, fireworks follow. Considering the success of players from each team in the global game and the rich history surrounding the clubs, it's a perfect match for bridging the past, present, and future of the global game. But like other rivalry matches, there is also the tough sell of convincing local fans that it's a good idea to lose one of these critical home clashes.

El Clasico

One of the most historic rivalries in soccer and bringing immense star power with it, there's no match that would have a bigger draw than Barcelona and Real Madrid playing a meaningful game in the United States. This is a match that already gets top billing when played as a preseason friendly in the United States, but making it worth actual points raises the stakes because at half, academy players won't be subbed in. There's always a push and pull between how seriously European teams take those friendly matches but by playing a league match, the points will matter.