Real Madrid Pushes For Blocking Barcelona Vs Villarreal Matches In The United States

JAKARTA - Real Madrid condemned plans to play a La Liga match in December 2025 between Villarreal vs Barcelona in the United States.

Los Blancos said the proposal would provide unsuitable sporting advantages to the teams involved and create unacceptable precedents.

On Monday, August 11, 2025, local time, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) agreed to continue UEFA's request about playing the 17th week of matches - which is scheduled to be played on the weekend of December 20, 2025 - at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Real Madrid said it had asked FIFA not to allow the match without prior approval from all the clubs participating in the competition.

Real Madrid also asked UEFA to pressure RFEF to withdraw its request. Not only that, but they also asked the Spanish Highest Sports Council (CSD) to refuse his permission.

Real Madrid's push is not only a form of seeking justice, but is also influenced by disputes with La Liga over a series of issues in recent years - with the club often expressing its dissatisfaction with league management under President Javier Tebas.

"Real Madrid wants to convey to its members, supporters, and football supporters in general the firm rejection of the proposal to play the 17th week of La Liga match between Villarreal vs Barcelona outside Spain."

"This step, which was implemented without prior information or consultation with clubs participating in the competition, violates the basic principles of territorial reciprocity governing a two-round league competition (one match at home and the other at home to the opposing team), changing the balance of competition, and providing inappropriate sports benefits to the clubs that submitted the request."

"The integrity of the competition demands that all matches be held under the same conditions for all teams."

"This unilateral modification of the regime violates equality between participants, compromises legitimacy of outcomes, and creates unacceptable precedents that open doors to interests other than the interests of sport alone, which clearly affects the integrity of the sport and risks polluting competition."

"If this proposal is implemented, the consequences will be so serious that it will mark a turning point in the world of football."

"Any modification of this kind, however, must obtain firm and unanimous approval from all the clubs participating in this competition," Real Madrid said in a statement.

La Liga first proposed playing a competitive match in Miami in the 2018/2019 season, but was forced to postpone the plan due to refusal from FIFA, RFEF, and the United States Football Federation (USSF).

La Liga's first bid involved a match between Barcelona and Girona in January 2019, but was rejected.

It was only last year that La Liga again expressed its intention to hold competition matches outside of Spain.

It was then proposed to play the 2024/2025 season match between Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in the United States, but again failed.

The first attempt was canceled after facing the rejection from FIFA. Meanwhile, the 2024/2025 effort was canceled due to a lack of time to host the match.

From that case, FIFA is facing lawsuits from La Liga's business partner in the United States, Relevant Sports, after blocking the initial Miami match proposal, before reaching an agreement on the matter.

As a result, FIFA then formed a working group last year to investigate the impact of playing competitive domestic league matches abroad.

However, La Liga did not give up. La Liga president Javier Tebas told ESPN last year that La Liga wanted to fulfill its goal of playing competitive matches in the United States during the 2025/2026 season.

Meanwhile, La Liga isn't the only Europe's top league considering holding matches overseas.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has supported plans to host the Serie A AC Milan vs Como match in Australia in February 2026.