Spanish men's soccer’s top-flight LaLiga has cancelled the proposed league match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami in December following a backlash from players and managers.
The league said the decision was taken due to “uncertainty” in the country in recent weeks, while the Relevent Sports agency, the promoters of the match, stated the reason for the cancellation was because of the “insufficient time” remaining in which to organise the event.
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This comes after players protested during the recent round of fixtures in LaLiga, refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of matches.
The final approval for the fixture to take place in Miami was provided earlier this month by European soccer’s governing body UEFA, albeit reluctantly.
While UEFA strongly voiced its opposition to the game, it admitted that it did not currently have the regulatory framework in place to prevent the international match from going ahead.
The controversial overseas match had already received approval from the RFEF, the Spanish federation, in August.
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By GlobalDataBut after the backlash from players and discussions between LaLiga and Relevent, the fixture has been shelved for this season.
In a statement, LaLiga has said: “The decision has been made to cancel the organization of the event due to the uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks.
“LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the international expansion of Spanish soccer, will not be able to move forward.
“Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players, and the visibility of Spanish soccer in a strategic market such as the United States.
“The project fully complied with all federative regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions responsible for ensuring compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.”
The statement continued: “In an increasingly competitive global landscape, where leagues such as the Premier League or competitions like the UEFA Champions League continue to expand their reach and ability to generate revenue, initiatives like this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish soccer.
“Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.
“Finally, we wish to thank the clubs for their willingness and collaboration in this project, as well as for their continued commitment to the growth of the competition. From LaLiga, we will continue, as always, to work to bring Spanish soccer to every corner of the world, promoting an open, modern, and competitive vision that benefits clubs, players, and fans alike.”
The fixture was due to be staged at the 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium and would have seen a long-term plan finally come to fruition for both LaLiga and Relevent.
The league created its LaLiga North America arm in 2018 as part of a 15-year joint venture with Relevant, which is chaired by US businessman Stephen M. Ross, who also owns the Hard Rock Stadium, with the organization of a match in the US a key part of the relationship.
Villareal were the designated home team for the game and had vowed to provide free travel to and from the game for all of the club’s season ticket holders. The match will now be held at the club’s Estadio de la Ceramica home as originally scheduled.
This would have been the first time a European top-flight league match had taken place in the United States, although the Spanish Super Cup has been held in Saudi Arabia in four of the past five seasons.
After the Miami game was initially confirmed, the Italian soccer federation decided to sanction a top-division Serie A match between AC Milan and Como, to be played in Perth, Australia, in February. This game, as opposed to the LaLiga fixture, is expected to go ahead as Milan’s San Siro home is unavailable and being used for the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Barcelona said it “respects and accepts” the decision to cancel the match but “regrets the missed opportunity to expand the competition's image” in a market that has a “great capacity for growth and generation of resources for everyone.”
The club added it “regrets deeply” that its fans in the US “are denied the opportunity to see an official game in their country.”
Despite the Catalan club’s statement, head coach Hansi Flick had made it clear before the announcement that he, nor his players, were happy about having to travel to the US for a match.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, was the latest top LaLiga player to voice his anger at the league’s attempt to stage a game abroad.
During a press conference yesterday, Courtois stated: “LaLiga does whatever it wants because it suits them. This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away.
“In LaLiga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away [for Barcelona, Real Madrid's title rivals] is tough. It's not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.
"The NBA has 82 games, and the NFL's owners collectively approve these decisions [to play matches abroad]. Here, LaLiga acts unilaterally. It's not the same.”
