Spanish soccer’s elite LaLiga has confirmed that the December 20 fixture between Villareal and FC Barcelona will be played in the US after European soccer governing body UEFA approved the league’s plans, albeit reluctantly.
The fixture, which will be LaLiga’s first-ever regular-season match held in the US, will be staged at Miami, Florida’s 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium.
Villareal, the designated home team for the game, has said that it will provide free travel to and from the game for all of the club’s season ticket holders, adding that if any season ticket holders do not wish to attend the fixture, then they may instead receive a discount on their season ticket of up to 30%.
While UEFA strongly voiced its opposition to the game, it admitted that it does not currently have the regulatory framework in place to prevent the international match from going ahead.
Both clubs, as well as the league itself, will activate around the anticipated fixture in Miami, while LaLiga has also confirmed that the fixture will be shown by its regular broadcast partners, with additional ancillary content and shoulder programming planned to support it.
In the US, LaLiga is shown by major sports broadcaster ESPN through a long-term partnership that the league says has helped to strengthen its position in one of its most prominent target markets.
On the confirmation of the fixture, LaLiga president Javier Tebas commented: “With this match, we are taking a historic step that projects LALIGA and Spanish football into a new dimension.
“We understand and respect the concerns that this decision may generate, but it is important to put it into context: it is just one match out of the 380 that make up the season. LALIGA represents millions of fans around the world, including many who follow their teams with passion and also deserve the chance to see them live at least once.
“This match is precisely about bringing our football closer to that global fanbase without diminishing our commitment to those who enjoy it every week in stadiums across Spain.”
Fernando Roig, Villareal president, added: “We hope to be able to reach fans from other parts of the world with this initiative and to continue expanding the club brand and the LaLiga brand.
“Reaching the United States is an opportunity we must seize. We have to expand the brand of our football and of Villarreal CF. It’s also a boost for our sponsors and for the ceramics sector (Villareal’s main sponsor is Pamesa, the local ceramics company owned by Roig).
“Many clubs agree on the need to internationalize and to look for ways to generate more revenue so we can get closer to other leagues, such as the Premier League.”
The US will jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, and the Hard Rock Stadium itself will stage seven fixtures, including a round-of-32 game, a quarter-final, and the third-placed play-off (as well as four group-stage fixtures).
Barcelona, by nature of having staged international pre-season tours in the past, have played four games in Miami already, most recently in 2022.
LaLiga initially created its LaLiga North America arm in 2018 as part of a 15-year joint venture with sports agency Relevant, which is chaired by US businessman Stephen M. Ross, who also owns the Hard Rock Stadium.
Based in New York, LaLiga North America is headed up by chief executive Boris Gartner, and the board of directors also comprises Tebas, Ross, and Relevent chief executive Daniel Sillman.
The joint venture comprises a team of more than 25 people, including a commercial and business development unit, and a development and production content team, LaLiga North America Studios, based in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Ross’s influence on LaLiga’s North American operations and Miami’s strong Latin culture (a 2020 census bureau poll revealed that over 70% of Miami’s population was Hispanic or Latino) meant that the city was always likely to be the league’s first landing spot in the US.
