La Liga Makes History: RFEF Green-Lights First-Ever Spanish League Match on US Soil for 2025-26 Season
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has initiated the process to relocate Barcelona's December encounter against Villarreal to American territory.
The RFEF's Board of Directors gave their approval for hosting this La Liga matchup at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, December 20. The Spanish governing body will now forward this proposal to UEFA and then to FIFA, seeking the required permissions to officially move the game overseas.
"Following the receipt and review of submitted documentation, and with Board of Directors approval, the Royal Spanish Football Federation will present to UEFA the application to initiate procedures for subsequent FIFA authorization for the match to take place at 'Hard Rock Stadium' in Miami (United States, USSF, CONCACAF), on December 20, 2025," the RFEF stated.
If the Barcelona-Villarreal proposal aligns with FIFA's International Match Regulations and the "implementation guidelines endorsed by the RFEF," this would mark the inaugural occasion of a European premier league game being contested on American territory.
Discussions about staging a La Liga encounter in Miami have persisted since 2018, though the RFEF and FIFA rejected proposals to bring Girona versus Barcelona to America that year. They similarly declined a 2019 request to move Atlético Madrid against Villarreal.
Speculation even emerged about the Spanish league bringing Barcelona versus Atlético Madrid to Miami during the previous campaign, but those arrangements never came to fruition.
FIFA is no longer anticipated to resist hosting a La Liga match in the United States following legal action from Relevant Sports Group, who contended that football's global governing body operated monopolistically and hindered fair competition.
Both sides eventually reached a settlement, leading to the lawsuit's dismissal and clearing the path for Barcelona and Villarreal's application to compete at Hard Rock Stadium in December.
La Liga president Javier Tebas discussed with ESPN last month his renewed enthusiasm for bringing a Spanish league fixture to the United States.
"We're actively working and optimistic that this will happen," Tebas commented. "Our objective remains consistent. New leadership has emerged at the Association with much broader scope, and there's been legal proceedings with FIFA in the United States, which is facilitating match hosting authorizations.
"We're hopeful this occurs sooner than later, and ideally, this current season."
The timing of Barcelona's meeting with Villarreal may require adjustment, however, should the plans receive approval to work around the Miami Dolphins' schedule; the NFL franchise is set to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, December 21.