Villarreal’s December league clash with Barcelona could become the first top-tier European match to be played outside the continent after the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) agreed to support moving the event to the United States.
The federation will ask UEFA for clearance before seeking FIFA’s authorization to shift the fixture to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, which will host seven games during the 2026 World Cup.
The game is currently set for 21 December at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. Under the proposal, it would instead be held on 20 December in Florida. The RFEF confirmed both clubs requested the change during its 11 August 2025 board meeting.
Backlash from supporters
The Spanish football supporters’ association FASFE, along with fan groups from both Barcelona and Villarreal, has expressed firm resistance to the idea. In a joint statement, they called on the RFEF and the national sports council to halt the plan, warning they would take legal action if necessary.
Similar cases and past attempts
In recent years, other competitions such as the Italian and Spanish Super Cups have been staged abroad. AC Milan are attempting to move their February Serie A fixture with Como to Perth, Australia, due to the San Siro hosting the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. That proposal still requires approval from FIFA, UEFA, Football Australia, and the Asian Football Confederation.
FIFA’s current regulations forbid domestic league matches from being played internationally, but last year it formed a working group to review the matter. La Liga previously aimed to host Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in Miami, but the plan was dropped due to timing issues.
A similar initiative in 2019 to hold Barcelona v Girona in Miami was abandoned after opposition from the RFEF and the players’ union. The Premier League has stated it does not intend to take competitive fixtures abroad, and a 2008 proposal for an extra overseas round of matches was shelved following strong criticism from fans and media.
