10 October 2025
UEFA has approved La Liga’s request to move the Villarreal CF Vs FC Barcelona fixture to be played in Miami and the Serie A game between AC Milan and Como to be played in Australia by stating that this is a ‘one-time decision’.
All fans who were gearing up to watch Villarreal play FC Barcelona at their iconic Estadi de la Ceràmica stadium will now have to book a ticket at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA, on December 20, 2026. The move came as a sudden surprise to all leagues and clubs, as nobody expected UEFA to approve the proposal made by La Liga President Javier Tebas. Insider sources suggest that UEFA approved this proposal ‘reluctantly’ and the UEFA president, Alexander Ceferin, insisted that this decision should not be mistaken for a precedent. With FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, welcoming this move, 20 December 2025 will witness a historical event that could go down as the greatest revolution in modern football or the greatest blunder?
Let us analyse the arguments in favour of this project first:
It is no secret that if there is any team that requires a major financial boost, then it is FC Barcelona. Even a 10% increase in their annual revenue can positively impact their functioning and help them stay afloat in the title races.
A financial rejuvenation is also a necessity for the survival of La Liga, Serie A, and other European leagues, as the English Premier League holds the lion’s share of the revenues generated each year. In the 2023/24 season EPL generated £6.3bn in revenues against €3.8bn of La Liga and €2.9bn of Serie A. Tebas and those in favour of this proposal are optimistic about the fact that the US move could make La Liga more popular globally.
“An official match in a city like Miami, with a large Cule community, will undoubtedly be a great spectacle with two teams competing at the highest level,” said Joan Laporta.
“The match is about bringing our football closer to that global fanbase without diminishing enjoyment for those who enjoy it week in, week out in stadiums across Spain”, Tebas responded when asked about his proposal.
For teams like FC Barcelona and AC Milan, playing in the USA may not be a major contributor to the growth of their brand. Their global exposure and brand growth are enormous, and it will only solidify their presence and push their horizons a bit wider. Whereas for clubs like Como and Villarreal, this opportunity is huge for building their brand and building a global fanbase.
This move is being pushed by La Liga and Serie A to combat the EPL’s dominance across the globe. Teams like Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad have consistently put up great performances in the European stages, but they failed to attain a global elite status like the mid-table teams in the EPL. Failure to make such elites has impacted other European leagues to stay under the shadow of the EPL. Familiarising such teams will open new markets for the leagues and for the clubs as well. Villarreal and Como can create more revenue by attracting more global fans and tourists.
Media rights are the major source of income for the leagues. The more viewership, the more revenue through rights. However, the Serie A and La Liga are nowhere close to earning what is being paid to the English Premier League. La Liga is being broadcast in 101 UN member countries out of the 193 UN member countries, and Serie A is being broadcast in 88 UN member countries. When compared with the numbers of EPL, La Liga and Serie A are nowhere close. The EPL is being broadcast in 188/193 UN member countries.
Although UEFA President Alexander Ceferin insisted on not making to mistake in this move as a precedent, the lobbyists for this move have strategically positioned themselves for an aggressive push to make this into a future precedent. It could turn out to be the new normal in club football with clubs focusing on building on a global identity rather than restricting themselves to a local one. This will help the clubs to build a multi-cultural fanbase structure and tap into new markets.
The overwhelming success of the Spanish Super Cup has fuelled this project. La Liga decided to move the Spanish Super Cup (Supercopa de España) to Saudi Arabia in 2019. Before 2019, the Spanish Super Cup was a pre-season tournament involving just two teams, the La Liga and Copa Del Rey Winners played against each other at home and away, with aggregate goals deciding the victor.
The reformat made the Spanish Super Cup into a 4-team knockout mid-season tournament with more prominence, importance, viewership, and revenue. RFEF generated €120 million in revenue in 3 years, that is €40M year compared to the €2.5M/year with the previous format. What was once viewed as an ignorable pre-season tournament and irrelevant trophy is now a major trophy that is being played in stadiums packed with passionate fans in foreign soil, generating millions in revenue.
Although there are many reasons for it, there is an increased public outcry against this project. Let us explore why many are opposing this project:
It has been 4 years since the removal of the away goal rule. However unfair it may seem, away goal advantage was given to teams as a reward for putting up the pressure and conditions at the away stadium. It is not easy to play in a stadium filled with fans that constantly boo you and cheer your opponents, and come out by scoring a goal in conditions that are alien to you. Away goals ensured competitive integrity when ultras ruled the stadiums, and an away match was nothing less than a visit to hell.
Although, since the crackdown against the Ultra-culture, making stadiums family and tourist friendly, and standardisation of pitch conditions, the away rules became irrelevant. But it did not take away the advantage which the home team had over the visiting side. By shifting the games abroad, it changes the atmosphere and nature of the home games.
Although Barcelona President Joan Laporta expressed his concern, the players are not quite happy with this project. FC Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder, Frenkie De Jong, was the first one to come out and express his dissatisfaction with this project. In an interview with ESPN, he said, “I don’t like it, I can understand the clubs financially, they will of course profit from it, and they can spread their brand further across the world. But I wouldn’t do it. It’s not good for the players. You have to travel a lot. It’s also not fair in terms of competition. For us, it’s now an away match on neutral ground. I totally understand if other clubs aren’t happy about that.”
It is not the first time players and managers have come out against the overburden of football fixtures. Players like Sergio Busquets and Managers like Pep Guardiola have raised their concerns in the past as well. Travelling to Villarreal is less tiring than travelling to Miami. Players need physical and mental rest. Such an overwhelming work schedule could only make them prone to more injuries and dissatisfaction.
There is nothing more iconic than Madridistas welcoming the Real Madrid team bus on a match day at Santiago Bernabeu, which is known as Recepción al Bus. Hours before kickoff, thousands of Madridistas line the streets leading to the Bernabéu, particularly Avenida de Concha Espina and Calle Padre Damián. This organised recepción al bus is arranged mainly by ultra and fan groups like Ultras Sur and other supporter collectives. The welcome is meant to boost player morale before key fixtures such as El Clásico, Champions League nights, or derbies against Atlético.
Each Club has their own set of such cultures, such as the incredible stadium choreography at Signal Iduna Park of Borussia Dortmund, fans humming to the Seven Nation Army each time Bayern scores a goal, and iconic YNWA sang at Anfield by the Liverpool fans have no substitutes. Football is not just about what happens on the pitch. Cultures such as this are also a visual spectacle. How can a game held in Miami and Australia be a substitute for this?
When Gonzalo Higuain made an infamous and dangerous decision to leave Napoli for Juventus, the local toilet paper vendor in Naples made a huge profit from selling the toilet paper with Higuain’s face on it. On a home matchday, it's not just the clubs who benefit from it but also the street vendors who sell scarves, customised jerseys, and other collectables. Moving the home games kills such local businesses, too, if it is done quite often.
Clubs still have not fully recovered from the Super League backlash, and overdoing such fixtures will surely invite fan backlashes. At the same time, European leagues are not just competing with each other; they are also facing the might of the Saudi Pro League with an astronomical budget and attracting many young Talents to the RSL. To compete and stay on top, they need strong financial numbers to keep the top talent in their clubs and leagues. The leagues and clubs must find new ways to generate revenues and, at the same time, keep the local fans and population happy, preserve the culture and values of the clubs. Striking a balance is the key to thriving in this era.
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