OFFICIAL: La Liga cancels Barcelona’s historic match in Miami

The historic plan to hold the Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami this December has been canceled by La Liga following strong backlash from players, clubs, and the Spanish public.

La Liga organizers confirmed that the match between Barcelona and Villarreal, originally scheduled for December 20 at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, USA), has been canceled after receiving heavy criticism. This was intended to be the first La Liga match held outside Spain, marking an effort to internationalize the league. However, the project quickly collapsed amid fierce opposition from stakeholders.

La Liga stated the cancellation decision was made by Relevent, the event partner for the North American market, citing “the recent instability in Spain” which made hosting the event unfeasible.

In a statement, La Liga expressed deep regret: hosting an official match abroad was seen as a “historic opportunity” to promote Spanish football globally, strengthening the brand and status of clubs in the U.S. market.

This plan was once praised by President Javier Tebas as a “revolutionary step,” but faced strong resistance from the Spanish Professional Footballers’ Association (AFE), Real Madrid, as well as many players and coaches. In the most recent round, La Liga players stopped playing for the first 15 seconds as a form of protest, claiming that holding the match abroad was “non-transparent and compromised the fairness of the competition.”

Several stars, including Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) and Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), also voiced concerns that traveling such distances would cause fatigue and directly affect player performance. Coach Hansi Flick admitted his team was “not happy” with the plan.

Although Barcelona’s management expressed disappointment over losing the chance to promote their image in the U.S., they still respected the final decision. “We deeply regret not being able to bring an official match closer to fans in the United States,” Barcelona’s statement said clearly.

This match was expected to open a new era for La Liga, but ultimately sparked controversy over players’ rights and the integrity of the league. It is also the fourth failed attempt to bring a La Liga match to the U.S., after proposals for Girona vs Barcelona (2018/19), Villarreal vs Atletico (2019/20), and Barcelona vs Atletico (2023/24).

This event highlights that efforts to internationalize Spanish football still face many obstacles. La Liga’s global ambitions are temporarily halted, at least until all parties find common ground between commercial interests and the league’s traditional identity.