“I think it could be in the 2025-26 season, but LaLiga will play official matches abroad,” said LaLiga president Javier Tebas in April 2024, openly sharing the possibility. To be fair, discussions around the matter date back as far as 2017, when he justified that out of 308 Spanish League matches, at least one or two could be played outside Europe, even admitting that “the United States would be the most likely place for a first game.” And he has finally realized his vision.

Brace yourselves, American fans, you’ll get to witness an official European league game on your own soil for the first time. Reportedly, the first LaLiga match abroad is set to be held in the U.S., featuring Villarreal and Barcelona at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 20, 2025. Though the UEFA has approved the request, they did so “reluctantly”, eventually making this the first major European league game to be played abroad.

However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet, with the ultimate call on hosting league matches abroad now lying with FIFA, which is still working on finalizing its new set of regulations. In its statement, UEFA noted that it had little choice but to approve these requests, citing the absence of a clear and comprehensive framework, a report from the Independent states.

Why exactly FC Barcelona and Villarreal are the chosen ones to travel over 4,500 miles has not been revealed, though with the match being held in Miami, a.k.a Lionel Messi’s new home, it’s easy to see why Barcelona was picked. And with Miami having a large Hispanic population, it’s only natural to bring in two Spanish clubs. 

The fixture had already been hinted at through a report by Miguel Galán, president of CENAFE, who suggested that this particular matchup was slated to be held in Miami this December. Despite this, Tebas declined to confirm the report during an event in London, where LaLiga was announcing a new broadcast partnership with Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t respond to Miguel Galán because he says so many things… We are working on it, and I’ve said many times that our intention is to take a match outside of Spain, and that Miami is a likely destination. His guess is like playing the lottery,” Tebas said, as compiled by beIN SPORTS, insisting at that time that while the league’s ambition to play one game outside Europe is true, whether it was this particular fixture was something that was still unclear.

The focus is on capturing the attention of a global audience, something that even La Liga’s rival leagues are also doing. “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,” he said to The Athletic last year.

Either way, it looks like U.S. soccer fans will get to witness the game sooner or later, though judging by the early reactions, most of them don’t seem too thrilled about the idea.

‘LaLiga in America’ idea flops with fans even before kick-off

Fun fact: LaLiga isn’t alone in pitching such an idea, as we might witness another European league game being held in a foreign land, most likely from Italy’s Serie A. Per reports, a match between Como and AC Milan is also set to take place in Perth, Australia, next February. Of course, from UEFA’s side, a green light has been given for the game to be played abroad.

However, one shall note that it isn’t completely their fault, as they did make such an approval with some hesitation or caution, possibly because it’s unusual for a major European league match to take place outside Europe, something which this fan was able to admit: “This is a sad day for football. La Liga belongs in Spain, just like the Premier League belongs in England, and Serie A belongs in Italy. The sport we all grew up with is slowly being ruined.”

Another one echoed similar frustration over this decision, slamming the stakeholders for stealing the joy of supporting one hometown’s team: “No one should be a fan of regular-season games being played abroad, taking away home matches from supporters. My opinion, anyway.” Hearing all of this, you must be thinking it’s the European fanbase that has a problem with this arrangement. However, hear out this American fan for once:

“Nobody wants this. I live in Florida and love European football and do not want this. La Liga belongs in Spain, Premier League belongs in England, the NFL belongs in the US. Does anybody actually become a fan and spend more money because a game was played in their country?” admitted this user, meaning the message is clear: it’s not a great idea.

This fan had a rather valid question, insisting that “How can the competition be fair” if, among the other 18 LaLiga clubs, only Villarreal and FC Barcelona are being allowed to play one less home game. Heck, if this isn’t much of a concern, picture what it would mean for the USA and Australia’s own domestic leagues?

Everyone knows that the MLS and A-League don’t quite measure up when compared to Europe’s biggest leagues. Instead of European leagues making such efforts, it should really be the U.S. and Australian leagues taking the initiative. Food for thought!

“This also hurts leagues like MLS and the A-League. Many will decide to skip watching their country’s league if they can see European superclubs play meaningful games without traveling to Europe,” explained one.

Then again, others were quick enough to come to the defense of this decision. Like this one fan admitted that the Premier League has significantly owned American viewership for quite some time and might push for hosting a few matches outside the UK, let alone even other sports in the States like American football, also following a similar ideology: “Well, if the NFL can do it, no reason European soccer leagues can’t follow suit.”

Foreign clubs flying to another country to play friendly matches during pre-season is something ardent fans hardly mind. But doing so as part of the official domestic calendar is far beyond one’s comprehension. Who knows, it might end up being a favorable move… or will it not? Either way, share your thoughts in the comments.