Ben Pawlowski
FOOTBALL supporters in Spain have launched a scathing attack on La Liga after plans to host a league match in the United States were formally approved by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Villarreal vs Barcelona – due to be played at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica on 21 December – could become the first European league fixture to be played abroad if Spanish football chiefs get their way – although the move remains subject to approval from UEFA and FIFA.
If the proposal receives the necessary backing, the league match will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, although the current date would clash with an NFL clash between the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
In a statement, the RFEF said: “At its meeting on 11 August 2025, the RFEF board of directors received a request from Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona to play their match on matchday 17 of the first division in the United States.
“The Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit the request to UEFA to begin the process for subsequent authorisation by FIFA for the match to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 20 December 2025.”
However, the proposal has sparked fury among fan groups who have united to slam the move as a shameless money-making exercise.
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FASFE, the Spanish football supporters’ association, released a statement in conjunction with Barcelona and Villarreal fan groups which urged the RFEF to ‘stop this madness’.
“Following the decision by the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s board this morning to begin procedures for granting the necessary permissions to hold the La Liga round 17 match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami on December 21, we, as an independent network of Spanish fans, together with Villarreal and Barcelona supporter groups, declare our complete and unequivocal opposition to holding the match outside Spain,” the statement read.
“We consider this decision shameful, as it is an attempt to steal the league from its true fans. Football is a social and cultural event before it is an entertainment industry, and removing it from the community that created and has supported it from the beginning is an unacceptable assault.
“Furthermore, moving an official match abroad undermines the competition’s integrity, violates the rights of fans who paid subscriptions to attend all matches at their stadiums, and contradicts the recent EU report that called for prohibiting domestic league matches from being held outside their borders.
“We will immediately begin working to stop this decision and will submit a formal request to the Royal Spanish Football Federation to withdraw the permit and to the Higher Sports Council to intervene.
“If the project proceeds, we will resort to the courts to prevent it.”
La Liga bosses have long tried to capitalise on the growing American market by hosting a league match abroad.
Last year, La Liga said it wanted to host Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in Miami, although the proposal was later binned owing to time constraints.
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In 2019, Barcelona tried to play Catalan rivals Girona in Miami, but the move was scrapped after objections from the RFEF and players’ union.
The latest proposal has only been made possible by the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a US-based events promoter against FIFA and the US Soccer Federation.
Relevant, founded and owned by Stephen Ross, the owner of the Hard Rock Stadium and Miami Dolphins, launched legal action after the proposal to host a Barcelona match in 2019 was scrapped.
US Soccer refused to sanction the match, saying it would breach a FIFA statute that barred domestic league games from being taken abroad.
But Relevant sued, arguing that the statute violated the US’ Sherman Antitrust Act – a piece of legislation dating back all the way to 1890 which intended to combat monopolies.
The case was eventually settled without prejudice.
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Strange that apparently it was a request by the 2 clubs involved. Obviously very supportive of their fans – not.