In a landmark moment, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has reluctantly approved the relocation of domestic league matches outside of the continent. The scheduled LaLiga match between Villarreal and Barcelona is set to be relocated to Miami, United States, while the Italian Serie A game AC Milan vs Como is to be played in Perth, Australia, early next year.
UEFA’s President Aleksander Ceferin has officially announced that they have approved the above-mentioned games to be relocated outside of the continent. He also maintained that this is a one-time affair and emphasised that it does not set a precedent for the upcoming games.
“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent,” announced the UEFA President on October 6.
The following decision has seen backlash from the football fans around Europe. The fans have argued that staging domestic league matches overseas undermines the deep-rooted connections between the club and the loyal fanbases. The fan clubs of Villarreal and Barcelona have raised their voice against the decision in unity on social media.
Why is the Villarreal vs Barcelona match to be played in Miami?
The relocation of the match has led to many fans even thinking, ‘Why is the Villarreal vs FC Barcelona match to be played in Miami, United States?’
The United States has seen a rise of popularity for the game of football (known as soccer in the US), and there is a huge financial allure to playing matches in the States. Recently, FIFA held its expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the summer, which saw a lot of success, while the nation is one of the host nations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 next summer.
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Financial allure the main motive
Since then, there have been murmurs of major European football clubs playing their matches in the United States, which not only allows them to connect to fans there but also helps the clubs and the league financially. However, no plans have come to fruition until now, with fear of fan backlash at the back of the clubs’ minds.
The Spanish league has been at the forefront of pushing domestic league matches to the United States. They have tried since the past decade to move some matches to the States because of the financial allure. They attempted to shift the Barcelona vs Girona match to Miami in 2018 but were opposed by FIFA and UEFA.
However, they didn’t hold back. In August 2025, Adam Crafton of The Athletic reported that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) approved the Spanish league LaLiga match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona to be played in Miami. One of the country’s major clubs, Real Madrid, even released a statement opposing the decision.
Then a request was submitted to FIFA and UEFA, which finally approved the same on October 6. UEFA stated that FIFA’s rules and regulations didn’t allow them the chance to deny the request.
If the Villarreal vs FC Barcelona does eventually go on to be played in Miami, this will be the first time that a European domestic top-flight league match is played outside of the home nation and continent.
When is the Villarreal vs FC Barcelona match date in Miami?
The relocated Villarreal vs Barcelona match is scheduled to be played on either December 21 or 22, depending on the clubs’ Copa Del Rey fixture the previous week.
The match would have been originally played at the Estadio de la Ceramica, the home ground of Villarreal, but will now instead be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Despite it being a home match for Villarreal, the majority of the fans are expected to be FC Barcelona fans, who have a huge fan following there. The match being played in Miami would also allow former FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi to attend the match, as he currently plays football for Inter Miami in the U.S.
How to get FC Barcelona vs Villarreal LaLiga Miami match tickets for 2025?
The ticket sales for the FC Barcelona vs Villarreal LaLiga match in Miami have not begun yet. With the backlash from the fans over the decision to relocate the match, the tickets are only likely to be available once the fan backlash calms down a bit. Follow sportsclaus.com to stay updated about the ticket details for the match.
