After weeks of growing uncertainty, LaLiga confirmed on October 21, 2025, that it has scrapped its ambitious plans to stage a league match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami this December. This decision marks a significant turn for the Spanish football league’s international expansion efforts.
Despite European football’s governing body, UEFA, reluctantly approving the match’s relocation to the United States two weeks prior—stating no FIFA statutes explicitly opposed it—the move faced substantial headwinds.
A wave of player protests quickly followed, with LaLiga footballers staging a coordinated demonstration over the weekend. Organized by the Spanish Footballers’ Association, players stood motionless for the first 15 seconds of their games, citing the league’s ‘lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence’ regarding the international fixture.
In an official statement, LaLiga expressed profound regret over the project’s cancellation. They highlighted that it represented a ‘historic and unparalleled opportunity for the international expansion of Spanish football,’ which now, regrettably, cannot proceed.
The league emphasized its belief that hosting an official match abroad would have been a crucial step for the competition’s global growth. Such a move, they argued, would have enhanced the international profile of clubs and players while significantly boosting Spanish football’s visibility in a key market like the United States.
They also asserted that the proposal fully adhered to all federative regulations and would not have compromised the integrity of the competition. LaLiga implied that the institutions opposing it did so based on ‘other reasons’ beyond regulatory compliance.
Furthermore, LaLiga lamented that ‘renouncing such opportunities’ to penetrate new markets would ultimately ‘hinder the generation of new income’ for the sport.
Initially, LaLiga collaborated with promotion company Relevent on the initiative. Relevent had previously informed The Athletic that the game’s plans were merely ‘postponed’ due to insufficient time to organize the event to their desired standard.
The partnership between LaLiga, Relevent, and Stephen Ross, owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, aimed to bring this high-profile match to American soil. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home to the Dolphins, was slated to host the Barcelona-Villarreal clash on December 20.
However, staging a football match that weekend presented considerable logistical hurdles. Hard Rock Stadium already had a busy schedule, with the Dolphins set to host ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 21. There was also a potential College Football Playoff first-round game for the Miami Hurricanes scheduled for December 20 at the same venue.
With the Miami venture now off the table, the Barcelona-Villarreal fixture will proceed as originally planned, taking place on December 21 in Spain.
Concerns about additional travel were also voiced by Barcelona players and coach Hansi Flick. The team already faces a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup in early January, making extra long-haul flights less appealing.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong articulated the players’ sentiment earlier in October, stating, ‘It’s not good for the players. You have to travel a lot.’ He added that playing on neutral ground due to such a move would also be ‘not fair in terms of competition.’