JAKARTA - The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has approved the request of La Liga, Barcelona and Villarreal clubs to play league matches in Miami for the 2025/2026 season.
ESPN reported on Sunday, August 10, 2025, that RFEF executives will discuss the matter in board meetings this week, as a first step in the process that will allow La Liga matches to be played overseas for the first time.
Villarreal is scheduled to host Barcelona in the 17th week of La Liga 2025/2026, which is scheduled for the weekend of December 20, 2025.
The two clubs have now requested that the match be played at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, instead of Villarreal's Estadio de La Ceramica.
"In a meeting on August 11, 2025, the RFEF Council was aware of requests from Villarreal and Barcelona clubs to play the 17th week of La Liga match in the United States."
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"After receiving and reviewing the documents received, and after being approved by the council, the RFEF will forward the request to UEFA to begin FIFA's initial licensing procedure for matches at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, on December 20, 2025, in accordance with FIFA's international match regulations and applicable regulations approved by the RFEF," the RFEF statement said Monday, August 11, 2025, local time.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig said season ticket holders would get free travel and match tickets.
If they don't want to leave, a 20 percent discount applies to their seasonal ticket--in compensation for the games played in Miami.
Playing competitive matches in the United States has long been La Liga's top priority.
La Liga president Javier Tebas told ESPN last year he hopes to do so during the 2025/2026 competition season.
La Liga's first bid to play a match in Miami involved a match between Barcelona vs Girona in January 2019, but the league was forced to withdraw after the plan met opposition from RFEF, UEFA, and FIFA.
In 2024, FIFA will form a working group to analyze the consequences of playing competitive domestic matches abroad, having previously opposed the concept.
This step was taken after the FIFA and the United States Football Federation (USSF) faced lawsuits from La Liga partners in the United States, Relevent Sports, over blocking the league's proposal.
The two sides then reached an agreement, and the lawsuit was rejected. Meanwhile, RFEF is now also supporting the plan under the new president, Rafael Louzan.
Meanwhile, in July 2025, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) provided its support for Serie A's request to play this season's league match between AC Milan vs Como - which is scheduled for February 2026 - in Australia.
In the Villarreal vs Barcelona case, all federations involved--RFEF, USSF, UEFA, Concacaf, and FIFA--must agree to the move.
Supercopa de Espana has been played abroad, with the RFEF organizing the tournament in Saudi Arabia in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
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