La Liga has officially scrapped plans to host the Barcelona vs. Villarreal match in Miami this December, citing “uncertainty” surrounding the event within Spain.
The fixture, originally scheduled for December 20 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, would have marked the first European domestic league match played outside Europe. However, La Liga announced Tuesday that its promoter had decided to cancel the event due to mounting concerns and opposition in Spain in recent weeks.
“We deeply regret that the project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity to take Spanish football to the international stage, cannot go ahead,” La Liga said in a statement.
🎟️ Ticket Sales Halted
Tickets were set to go on sale Tuesday, but presales were postponed before the match was ultimately cancelled. The fixture will now take place at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica as originally scheduled.
⚽ Reactions from Barcelona
FC Barcelona said they “respect and accept” the decision to cancel the game, though they expressed disappointment over the lost opportunity to promote the league in a strategic growth market like the United States.
“US-based fans will be deprived of witnessing the match in person,” the club added in its statement.
🚫 Widespread Opposition
The plan faced backlash from multiple fronts:
- The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) staged protests last weekend, with players from all La Liga teams remaining motionless for 15 seconds at the start of matches.
- Real Madrid opposed the plan at an institutional level.
- Thibaut Courtois, Madrid goalkeeper, claimed it would “adulterate the competition.”
- Madrid captain Dani Carvajal told La Liga president Javier Tebas that taking a league match abroad would leave “a stain” on the competition.
🌍 UEFA’s Conditional Approval
La Liga has long pursued the idea of staging games abroad. This Miami fixture had made the most progress yet, after UEFA gave exceptional approval, despite generally opposing such moves. Similarly, UEFA has allowed a Serie A fixture between AC Milan and Como to be played in Australia in February.
