LaLiga has cancelled its initiative to hold a match between Barcelona and Villarreal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The organizers stated they had “insufficient time” to properly execute the event.
This decision follows a recent announcement from LaLiga that moved the match from Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica to South Florida, after receiving reluctant approval from UEFA. The clash was touted as the first international league match in the sport’s history but is now set to be played as previously scheduled on December 21.
“Relevent has informed LaLiga of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona in Miami on December 20,” the promotion company stated. “Given the current uncertainty in Spain, there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale. Selling tickets without a confirmed match would also be irresponsible.”
LaLiga has aimed to host a game in the U.S. since 2018, aided by Relevent, which even filed an antitrust lawsuit against FIFA and U.S. Soccer due to previous obstacles. This lawsuit was settled in 2024, facilitating the path for LaLiga and other leagues to conduct competitive events internationally.
Despite the cancellation, there were concerns surrounding the competitive fairness of such a match, leading to protests from LaLiga players. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong voiced criticism towards the relocation plans shortly after their confirmation: “I don’t like it. It’s not good for the players.”
LaLiga used the cancellation announcement to defend its efforts to move the match from Spain to the U.S. in the first place. The league expressed regret that this project, seen as a significant opportunity for expanding Spanish soccer globally, would not proceed. The project was purportedly compliant with regulatory guidelines, and the league had affirmed its non-impact on competition integrity.
On a related note, Serie A has received UEFA clearance for a match set to happen in February between AC Milan and Como in Australia, also pending FIFA’s final approval.
