The planned La Liga regular-season match between Villarreal and Barcelona, scheduled to be played in Miami this December, has been officially cancelled. La Liga announced the decision on Tuesday, citing "uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks" following conversations with the game's promoter, Relevent Sports. Relevent stated it informed the league of the need to "postpone" due to "insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale."
The cancellationwas precceded by severe backlash against the proposal. Players across La Liga protested last weekend by standing still for the first 15 seconds of matches, a move organized by the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) citing a lack of consultation and transparency. Several TV broadcasters reportedly avoided showing the protests. Key figures like Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois publicly criticized the plan, stating it would "adulterate the competition" because "everyone should play at home and away."
La Liga President Javier Tebas expressed strong disappointment, calling the cancellation a lost opportunity for Spanish football's global growth. "Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to advance, project itself globally, and strengthen its future," Tebas wrote on X. He criticized the opposition, attributing it to a "narrow-minded and provincial perspective" focused on "tradition," while vowing that La Liga would "continue working... to keep Spanish football competitive" and would attempt to stage matches overseas again.
The proposed match at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, part of La Liga's long-term partnership with Relevent, would have been the first regular-season game from a top European league played in the United States. While the Spanish Super Cup has been held abroad, this move faced opposition regarding competitive fairness and logistical concerns raised by players and clubs beyond the two participants. Villarreal coach Marcelino García Toral criticized the timing of the announcement, made during their Champions League match, as showing "a complete lack of respect."
While Serie A has announced plans for a match in Australia, the German Bundesliga has ruled out playing matches abroad, and the Premier League abandoned its '39th game' concept years ago due to fan opposition. The divisions within Spanish football regarding global expansion and the influence of player unions and major clubs have been bought up a notch, with teams demanding more conversation and discussions.
