La Liga’s plan to stage a Barcelona vs Villarreal league match in Miami this December has officially been cancelled due to “uncertainty” surrounding the game in Spain, the league confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
The match, initially scheduled for December 20 at the Hard Rock Stadium, would have marked the first-ever European league fixture played abroad. However, the event’s promoter decided to withdraw after weeks of controversy and domestic opposition.
“LaLiga deeply regrets that the project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity to take Spanish football to the international stage, cannot go ahead,” the league said.
Tickets for the highly anticipated match were expected to go on sale Tuesday before the presale was delayed and later scrapped altogether.
As a result, the fixture will now take place as originally planned at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica.
In a statement, Barcelona said they “respect and accept the decision to cancel the match against Villarreal in Miami… just as we respected and accepted the decision to play when it was made at the time.”
The Catalan club added that they regretted the “lost opportunity to expand the image of the competition in a strategic market with growth potential,” noting that U.S.-based fans would “be deprived of witnessing” the match live.
The plan faced fierce criticism across Spain. The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) led nationwide protests over the proposal, with players pausing for 15 seconds at the start of each La Liga game last weekend in opposition.
Real Madrid also strongly opposed the idea, labelling it unfair. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said it would “adulterate the competition,” while captain Dani Carvajal described it as “a stain” on Spanish football.
La Liga president Javier Tebas had long pushed for matches abroad as part of the league’s global expansion strategy. After multiple failed attempts, this Miami game was the closest La Liga had come, having secured UEFA’s special permission to hold a domestic fixture overseas.
While UEFA generally opposes the idea of league matches being played outside their home nations, the governing body agreed to exceptional trials — including a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como planned for February in Australia.
Despite this setback, La Liga insists it remains committed to international growth and may revisit similar opportunities in the future.
