What Happened To Barcelona’s Miami Game? A Timeline Of La Liga’s Failed Project

La Liga’s dreams of hosting a home conflict betwixt Barcelona and Villarreal successful Miami were abruptly shattered aft a activity of protestation denounced nan historical first.

Bringing a Spanish top-flight clash, featuring 1 of nan biggest clubs successful Spain, to nan United States has willing La Liga president Javier Tebas for years. The promised financial boost and overseas vulnerability of specified an unprecedented spectacle was thought to beryllium nan cleanable measurement to turn nan league.

Yet Tebas, successful conjunction pinch American agency Relevent Sports, struggled to move nan imagination into a reality. Objections from nan Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), U.S Soccer Federation (USSF) and FIFA unopen down plans successful 2018, 2019 and 2024 to big a La Liga fixture connected U.S. soil.

Everything changed, though, erstwhile Relevent settled its antitrust suit pinch nan USSF successful April of this year. The ruling allowed nan sports promoter to big overseas convention matches successful nan United States aft a six-year ineligible battle.

Four months later, nan pieces were falling into spot to bring Villarreal vs. Barcelona to Miami this December. Except nan task spectacularly crumbled successful what became a monolithic headache and nonaccomplishment for La Liga.

The La Liga champions were group to play successful Miami successful December. / Flor Tan Jun/Getty Images

The first measurement to bringing Villarreal vs. Barcelona to Miami came connected Aug. 11, erstwhile nan RFEF Board of Directors approved nan plans to big nan La Liga fixture astatine Hard Rock Stadium.

“After receiving and checking nan archiving received, and aft nan support of nan Board of Directors, nan Royal Spanish Football Federation will taxable to UEFA the petition to statesman nan procedures for nan subsequent authorization by FIFA for nan lucifer to beryllium played astatine the ‘Hard Rock Stadium’ in Miami (United States, USSF, CONCACAF), connected December 20, 2025,” nan RFEF announced.

The landmark ruling officially opened nan doorway for nan first-ever European top-flight convention fixture to unfold connected U.S. soil.

Although nan projected plans from La Liga came arsenic nary astonishment fixed nan league’s past attempts astatine specified a venture, gaining nan basal support almost seemed intolerable fixed nan implications of nan decision.

After all, Villarreal were being stripped of a location crippled against Barcelona to alternatively play successful Miami, wherever nan crowd would apt beryllium successful favour of nan defending Spanish champions. The Catalans, successful turn, were gaining nan competitory advantage of not having to play astatine nan Estadio de la Ceràmica for illustration each different 18 clubs successful La Liga.

Aug. 12: Real Madrid Vocally Oppose nan Decision

Real Madrid deed backmost astatine nan imaginable of a Miami La Liga fixture. / Diego Souto/Getty Images

The aforementioned implications of a imaginable Miami-based La Liga fixture prompted a fiery and contiguous consequence from Real Madrid.

The 15-time European champions released a ruthless statement that publically denounced nan task connected nan grounds that it “violates nan basal rule of territorial reciprocity” that governs La Liga.

“Unilaterally modifying this authorities violates nan equality betwixt contenders, compromises nan legitimacy of nan results, and sets an unacceptable precedent that opens nan doorway to exceptions based connected interests different than strictly sporting interests, intelligibly affecting sporting integrity and risking adulteration of nan competition,” Real Madrid said.

The club’s consequence was expected fixed their rivalry pinch Barcelona and nationalist feud pinch Tebas. Yet different clubs began speaking retired arsenic well.

Getafe president Ángel Torres called nan lucifer “an aberration” that he is “totally against” while Rayo Vallecano head Iñigo Pérez said: “I don’t for illustration nan thought of ​​a lucifer being taken abroad, but I won’t indulge successful nan hypocrisy of saying it’s a disgrace.”

The dissent quieted, though, erstwhile nan 2025–26 play began. It was not until October that nan rumor sent shockwaves crossed La Liga.

UEFA reached a landmark determination successful October. / IMAGO/Eibner Europa

After a lengthy delay, UEFA yet executed a ruling connected nan taxable connected Oct. 6. The governing assemblage approved nan match, though it made clear its guidance to nan project.

“Given that nan applicable FIFA regulatory framework—currently nether review—is not clear and elaborate enough, nan UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken nan determination to approve, connected an exceptional basis, the 2 requests referred to it,” UEFA announced, referring to nan La Liga Miami conflict and Serie A’s plans to shape Milan vs. Como successful Perth.

“While it is regrettable to person to fto these 2 games spell ahead, this determination is exceptional and shall not beryllium seen arsenic mounting a precedent,” UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said. “Our committedness is clear: to protect nan integrity of nationalist leagues and guarantee that shot remains anchored successful its location environment.”

The determination prompted much and much players crossed La Liga to speak out against nan overseas fixture, including Barcelona’s ain Frenkie de Jong: “It’s not adjacent for nan competition. Now we’re playing an distant crippled connected neutral ground.

“I don’t for illustration it and I don’t deliberation it’s correct for nan players. The clubs are going to get paid for this, but I don’t work together pinch playing a convention crippled successful Miami. I understand that different clubs don’t agree.”

Oct. 17: La Liga Players Rally to Protest nan Controversial Fixture

Villarreal players took portion successful nan weekend’s protests. / Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images

The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) had nary prime but to return awesome action against nan Miami match. After consulting pinch nan captains of each club, nan players’ national put together a league-wide protest to reason nan RFEF and UEFA’s rulings.

The objection was “to protestation symbolically arsenic a request for the lack of transparency, speech and coherence of LALIGA, regarding nan anticipation of playing a title lucifer successful nan United States.”

During Gameweek 9, footballers did not play nan first 15 seconds of their matches. Even Villarreal and Barcelona players took part, putting nan unit connected La Liga to perchance rethink their plans.

The AFE besides reiterated that nan determination to move a home fixture to a neutral tract came without nan “approval of nan main players” successful nan league.

Dani Carvajal took a nationalist stance against nan fixture. / Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

The sound surrounding nan Miami fixture turned deafening connected Oct. 21. Real Madrid reportedly filed a general report to Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD) successful guidance to nan match, citing “corruption of nan competition” arsenic their grounds for protest.

Real Madrid correct backmost Dani Carvajal echoed his club’s sentiments, telling Teledeporte: “I deliberation it’s clear corruption of nan competition, which doesn’t let each La Liga teams to compete connected nan aforesaid footing.

“I deliberation it’s basal that we, nan players themselves, nan clubs, and nan convention itself, beryllium fair. We person to advocator for fairness, and I don’t deliberation this does it.”

Once again, nan statement from some nan Spanish giants and their skipper was rooted successful Barcelona getting to play 1 little distant crippled than each different squad successful La Liga, a determination that came without nan consultation aliases support of nan different clubs successful nan league.

Oct 21: The Landmark Match Falls Apart

La Liga will person to hold for an overseas fixture. / Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Just hours aft nan reported ineligible action taken by Real Madrid, nan arguable fixture was officially canceled. Relevent blamed “insufficient time” to shape a lucifer of specified magnitude arsenic its reasoning.

Tebas, though, insinuated nan league-wide dissent, led by Real Madrid, ultimately impacted nan project.

“Today, Spanish shot has mislaid an opportunity to move forward, task itself to nan world, and fortify its future,” nan La Liga president wrote connected X.

“The ‘integrity of nan competition’ is appealed to by those who person spent years questioning that very integrity, pressuring referees, leaders, constructing distorted narratives, aliases utilizing governmental and media unit arsenic a sporting tool.”

Tebas’s disappointment will not mean overmuch to nan La Liga clubs that vehemently were against nan plans. In fact, for Spanish football, nan wide sentiment is 1 of victory.

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