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Villarreal’s upcoming La Liga clash with Barcelona could make football history, with both clubs pushing to stage the December fixture in the United States rather than Spain.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has given initial approval and will now seek clearance from UEFA and FIFA. If sanctioned, the match would take place on 20 December 2025 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, a venue for the 2026 World Cup. The original date was 21 December at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica, but moving it to Miami would bring it forward by one day.
The RFEF confirmed the request came jointly from Villarreal and Barcelona. The next step involves UEFA’s consent followed by FIFA’s. That final hurdle may be difficult since FIFA’s current rules prohibit domestic league games from being played outside their home country. However, the organisation is reviewing the regulation through a special working group.
While official games abroad are rare, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups have been staged in countries such as Saudi Arabia in recent years. AC Milan are also exploring the possibility of playing a Serie A match in Perth, Australia, next February because the San Siro will host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. No European league has yet taken a regular-season match overseas.
La Liga has tried before. In 2019, Barcelona were set to face Girona in Miami, but the plan collapsed after opposition from the RFEF and the players’ union. Last year, the league hoped to stage a Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid fixture there, but time constraints ended the effort.
The Premier League floated a similar idea in 2008, proposing an extra “39th game” abroad, but abandoned it after strong backlash from fans and media.
Whether the Miami experiment happens this time depends on FIFA’s ruling in the coming months. If approved, Villarreal vs Barcelona could open a new chapter for domestic football or become another failed attempt to take the league beyond its borders.
