US District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan said Relevent Sports LLC failed to show an illegal conspiracy to restrict where teams play, despite a 2018 Fifa policy against official matches outside teams’ home territories.

Caproni said that even absent a formal “meeting of the minds” there were “obvious rational reasons” for US Soccer to honour the ban, including the prospect that Fifa might otherwise exclude US men’s football players and teams from the World Cup.

She also rejected New York-based Relevent’s “conclusory” claim that US Soccer and Major League Soccer pushed Fifa for the ban.

“In short, plaintiff’s amended complaint is devoid of any factual allegations to support the inference that the defendants in this case agreed with anyone, let alone with all 210 other National Associations and countless leagues and teams, to do anything, including to adhere to the policy,” Caproni wrote.

Lawyers for Relevent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fifa, US Soccer and their respective lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.

Relevent, which organises the International Champions Cup, wanted to arrange regular season games in the US from leagues such as Spain’s La Liga, its partner in a joint venture.

Some European and South American teams play “friendly” matches in the US, but not regular season matches.

Caproni gave Relevent until July 30 to decide whether it wants to arbitrate a separate claim against US Soccer for interfering with its business.