There’s frivolous lawsuits, and then there’s whatever was filed by an individual against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in the Southern District of New York earlier this month.
The complaint, filed by Michael Buxbaum, alleges that the USSF is defrauding the federal government by “not trying to win” a recent match in the She Believes Cup against Japan, thereby violating the False Claims Act. According to the USSF’s website, the federation does not receive federal funding, making this seem like a pretty open and shut case.
Plenty of fans think it while watching their team play, but few act on the impulse:
A complaint was filed against U.S. Soccer for defrauding the U.S. government by “not trying to win” in the She Believes Cup (where it lost 2-1 to Japan in the final). 1/2 pic.twitter.com/pY1c6U6ZeP
— Steven Bank (@ProfBank) April 21, 2025
Nevertheless, some of the “relief” that Buxbaum is seeking is pretty hysterical. First off, he’s demanding an injunction against the federation to prevent U.S. Soccer games from being broadcast on television. Second, Buxbaum is demanding wagering on U.S. Soccer games be banned pending the litigation. And finally, he’s seeking nearly $100 million in damages, again, because he alleges the USWNT was “not trying to win” a game against Japan in which they lost 2-1.
The complainant seeks an injunction against US Soccer appearing on TV and excluded from wagering and requests almost $100 million (!) in damages “for wrongful and intentional and repeated violations of the False Claims Act” 2/2 pic.twitter.com/D4fSKqlyPP
— Steven Bank (@ProfBank) April 21, 2025
Just looking over the documents, this is some pretty incredible stuff from someone who has zero chance at winning any money over this. To be honest, this might be one of the all-time troll jobs from a disgruntled fan.
However, it’s pretty safe to say that when the USWNT and USMNT take the field again this summer, those games will be on television, just like normal. Sorry, Michael.
