“Football unites the world”—a campaign launched by FIFA during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar- was a global movement to inspire, unite, and develop through football. Big names like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., and many more came together to harness the power of the game to bridge global differences and bring humanity closer. While it’s been three years since that campaign ended, the sentiment behind it clearly lives on. Only this time, the power of football is being used for a different purpose as La Liga players are now showcasing the unity of the sport to make a statement.

Earlier, La Liga had confirmed its decision to hold the match between Villarreal and Barcelona outside Spain, with Miami, Florida, in the United States being the preferred destination. However, in a dramatic turn of events, players across the Spanish top flight have now united, hand in hand, to voice their protest against this controversial decision. Their sentiment toward this decision will be expressed through a rather striking act of defiance.

Players refused to play for the first 15 seconds each time a match kicks off. In fact, the protest has already begun. On Friday night, Real Oviedo and RCD Espanyol geared up for their Matchday 9 opener, and just after shaking hands and choosing kick-off and side duties, the referee’s whistle blew, only for players from both teams to collectively freeze on the pitch, motionless, doing nothing.

The protest was directed against the Spanish league and its decision. Following this, the officials instructed broadcasters to abruptly cut away their cameras and avoid showing the demonstration live until play actually began. So, those watching from the comfort of their homes wouldn’t have witnessed the moment, unlike the fans and others present in the stadium.

This was something that the players’ union had pre-informed in a statement announced just before Matchday 9 began. “Players will protest in a symbolic fashion to denounce the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence of LaLiga regarding the possibility of playing a game in the United States,” said the union, as compiled by ESPN.

In fact, that’s exactly what La Liga plans to do for the remaining matches this weekend. If a protest takes place, the first 15–20 seconds simply won’t be broadcasted. Then again, what matters most to the players is making their feelings known about hosting a domestic game on foreign soil. And while the league may try to suppress the visuals, it certainly didn’t stop the issue from spreading. In contrast, it has only ensured the protest gains widespread attention.

La Liga needs to find a middle ground with its players!

La Liga has been considering the idea of playing at least one or two games from its 308-match Spanish League calendar abroad since 2017. The plan wasn’t executed until this year, when La Liga president Javier Tebas confirmed in 2024, saying, “I think it could be in the 2025-26 season, but La Liga will play official matches abroad.”

If Villarreal and Barcelona do fly to the United States for the game, it would mark the first major European league match to take place outside the continent.  UEFA has also given its approval, but only “reluctantly.”

Similarly, the final decision still rests with FIFA, which is currently working on new regulations before officially confirming the move. According to The Independent, UEFA noted it had little choice but to approve the request due to the absence of a clear and comprehensive framework. As for La Liga, they justify this move as a chance to attract a global audience, a strategy also being pursued by other top leagues.

“An official match in the U.S. will strengthen our position in the North American market, which is the second market for LaLiga after Spain. Other very competitive leagues are coming, so we cannot always do the same thing, but we cannot allow them to overtake us,” Javier Tebas said to The Athletic last year.

Yet, it’s something that players, and even fans, hardly care about, seeing it as a decision that disrupts the league’s equilibrium and, to say the least, overshadows the USA’s own domestic tournament, Major League Soccer. Even the teams that are being forced to fly 4500 miles away from Spain aren’t happy, like FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick echoed the feeling on his players’ behalf, saying, “My players are not happy, I am not happy, but LaLiga decided that we will play this game.” 

Either way, it’s quite a conundrum, and the protest has made everything clear. It remains to be seen how La Liga will respond to this.