UEFA approval decision of Barca’s Miami request in September, with the Catalans set to play Villarreal in the USA.
UEFA to decide in September on Barcelona request to play in Miami.
In September, UEFA will make a decision on whether to grant the Spanish football federation’s request for Villarreal and Barcelona to compete in a La Liga match in Miami in December.
If nothing is done to stop the request, a historic event will get closer to happening. European football’s governing body is scheduled to consider the issue at its next executive committee meeting in Tirana on September 11. Despite repeated attempts by the Spanish top division to do so, no major league has ever hosted a local match abroad. Uefa’s signoff would clear a significant part of trail, although the scheme also requires permission from Fifa, US Soccer and Concacaf.
Within Uefa, there is widespread agreement that it will be challenging to reject the plan without changing its statutes. The plan seemed to have unstoppable momentum even at that point. Since the US-based promoter Relevent Sports reached a settlement with FIFA in April 2024 to drop the world governing body from a lawsuit contesting its policy of prohibiting league games from being held in other nations, any potential legal arguments against relocating matches overseas have become less persuasive.
The proposal looks good to go
It indicates that there is a good probability the idea, which was first proposed by La Liga before being accepted and submitted by the Spanish federation (RFEF), will be adopted. It is unclear if that would be on a one-time basis or whether the broader notion of moving league games overseas would be agreed to.
Meetings between the different parties are anticipated to continue over the weekend after reportedly taking place on the margins of the Monte Carlo-hosted draws for this season’s Uefa club competitions. Throughout the season opening ceremony on the Côte d’Azur, executives from Relevent Sports, which was named this year as Uefa’s global marketing and sales partner for the 2027–2033 timeframe, have been noticeable.
It would be awkward for Uefa’s power structures to sanction the game, which would be played at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.
“I don’t think it’s a good thing,” stated Uefa President Alexander Ceferin in an interview this week. Ceferin voiced dissatisfaction with the idea, but like other important Uefa figures, he acknowledged that there was little legal recourse.
Milan and Como’s February meeting in Perth, western Australia, has been approved by the Italian football federation. The justification offered is a venue conflict with the Winter Olympic opening ceremony. Additionally, Uefa will consider the fixture’s viability.
Potential Backlash
EU sport commissioner, Glenn Micallef, strongly criticised the scheme in a series of statements on social media. “I’m deeply disappointed by proposals to stage domestic league matches outside Europe,” he said. “This is the first big stress test for governance since the Super League. Strong, community-based clubs are the heart of the European Sport Model. Moving competitions abroad isn’t innovation, it’s betrayal.”