Spanish FA Approves Plans for Villarreal v Barcelona in Miami

Villarreal v Barcelona Could Make La Liga History in Miami

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has approved a proposal to host Villarreal’s La Liga clash with Barcelona in the United States, potentially making it the first-ever European domestic league fixture to be played abroad.

The match, originally scheduled for 21 December 2025 at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica, could instead take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami – a venue set to host seven matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Approval Process Underway

In a statement, the RFEF confirmed that both Villarreal and Barcelona had formally requested the relocation for matchday 17 of the 2025/26 season.

“The Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit the request to UEFA to begin the process for subsequent authorisation by FIFA for the match to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 20 December 2025,” the RFEF said.

FIFA and UEFA approval will be required for the fixture to move overseas, with FIFA rules currently prohibiting domestic league games from being staged abroad.

Fan Groups Oppose the Move

The Spanish football supporters’ association FASFE, alongside fan groups from both clubs, issued a joint statement expressing “absolute, total and firm opposition” to the plan.

They urged the RFEF and Spain’s national sports council to “stop this madness” and warned of potential legal action if the proposal goes ahead.

Global Football Trend

The move follows recent examples of domestic competitions staging matches abroad, including the Italian Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup.

AC Milan are also exploring plans to play their Serie A match against Como in Perth, Australia, next February – though that proposal also awaits multiple approvals.

La Liga has attempted overseas matches before:

• In 2019, Barcelona’s planned clash against Girona in Miami was blocked by the RFEF and the players’ union.

• In 2024, an idea to stage Barcelona v Atletico Madrid in Miami was dropped due to time constraints.

Meanwhile, the Premier League has ruled out staging competitive matches overseas, shelving a similar “39th game” proposal in 2008 after widespread backlash.