Spain’s La Liga wants to play a game in Miami, protest players and fans. Series A also draws abroad, individual clubs in England would also like to move games – the DFL does not have such plans.
The Spanish player union AFE organized a meeting of all 20 captains of La Liga on Thursday. Topic: The relocation of the game on December 20 between FC Villarreal and FC Barcelona to Miami in the USA. “We believe that this project is a lack of respect for the footballers due to the lack of dialogue with the players”criticized the AFE.
Hardly any information was provided, although the players as an employee would be used in another territory without consultation, according to the AFE. An agreement must be made beforehand with the players as the main actors. Spanish media report that the 20 captains had spoken out against the relocation in a vote. In the future, the procedure could also affect all other clubs in the league.
Villarreal captain Gerard Moreno
Fans protest: “Today they take a game away, several tomorrow”
Villarreal fans are also outraged by the plan. “Villarreal in Villarreal”wrote fans on a banner, after all, it’s about a home game of the club. “Now they want to take a game away to travel to Miami – later there will be several games in other places”wrote the fan organization “Vfans 1923” in social networks.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE)The organization recognized by the UEFA as a contact person also reacted significantly. “The relocation of games from their home areas affects the relationship between fans and their teams”said FSE. The plans are clearly rejected. “We ask everyone involved to give priority to the well -being of the game before that. The mobilization of the fans has fended off earlier attacks on football. And we are ready to fight again to secure the future of our sport.”
Home of FC Villarreal: The Estadio de la Cerámica
Spain’s league remains determined
Spain’s league president Javier Tebas supports the game in the USA. “I am convinced that the game will take place in Miami”said Tebas in the newspaper “As”. “The clubs voluntarily applied for this game. But La Liga is logically very interested in enabling this.” The National Association RFEF – comparable to the DFB – has already given the necessary approval. UEFA and FIFA would still have to approve the plan.
Tebas made it clear his point of view: “Either we are innovative or we are becoming irrelevant.” The grant to an international audience has long been considered a key to new income in the football business. Linguistically tailored offers in transfer and in social networks are intended to attract fans in other countries.
Javier Tebas, President of La Liga
Italy’s league chief: “Would like to have a full first match day in the USA”
Laying games abroad is also a current topic in other countries. Ezio Simonelli, President of Serie A, said in an interview with the “Corriere Della Sera” about the economic situation of the league: “Of course we now have to concentrate on the sale of rights abroad, so we have to improve. That is why I would have liked to have played all over the first matchday abroad. I received a financing proposal in the USA. It would be nice if that would be possible in the future if there are more relaxed rules.”
Ezio Simonelli, President of Series A
Another process in Italy: Because on February 6, 2026, the Olympic Winter Games are opened in the Giuseppe-Mazza Stadium in Milan, AC Milan has to look for an alternative date or an alternative stadium for the Series A against Como 1907 on the 24th match day: The choice fell to Perth in Australia, which is 14,000 kilometers away, the final permit is still Association already gave its promise.
The Optus Stadium in the Australian Perth
In England, too, many clubs have indicated that they would like to play in the USA. Eleven clubs of the Premier League are now controlled by owners from the United States, a two-thirds majority among the 20 clubs is necessary for changes in the rules in the league. Premier League boss Richard Masters said: “We have no plans to play games abroad.” The Premier League has been running a summer tournament in the United States for a long time.
DFL: “No considerations about competitive games abroad”
Would such steps also be an issue for the Bundesliga? The DFL organizes the Bundesliga, the 2nd Bundesliga and the DFL Supercup. At a request from the sports show to what extent the league association is considering, to lay games or the supercup abroad based on the model of other leagues and associations and whether there is already a geographical goal, the DFL replied: “There are no considerations to carry out competitive games abroad.”
The DFL headquarters in Frankfurt am Main
At the Supercup, the game regulations of the DFL expressly allow for the game between master and cup winner “To name a stadium abroad as a venue”. Spain’s Supercup has been taking place in Saudi Arabia for years and has already been held in Morocco. Italy’s Supercup has also recently been in Saudi Arabia several times, before that the game was relocated to Qatar, China, the USA and Libya. France’s Supercup has been practically permanent on tour since 2009: Canada, Morocco, USA, Gabon, China, Austria, Israel and Qatar were venues outside the country.
FC Barcelona won the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia in 2023
“USA is now the ATM of the football world”
However, the United States is currently the economic place of longing for professional football. The goal is to conquer the fan base there. “There is no doubt that the United States has now become the ATM of the football world”said the head of the American league MLS, Don Garber, in 2024 in “The Athletic”. “We have increased the commercial value of sport in our country so that it is perhaps the most valuable football market today.”
The FIFA carried its new 2025 club World Cup there without reason, in 2026 it will come back with the men’s World Cup. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin recently did not rule out a Champions League final in the United States.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin
What role will the UEFA play?
In the fight against the Super League, Ceferin also needs the leagues and especially the clubs on his side – which speaks for the fulfillment of a desire for games abroad. But the UEFA also needs the EU on its side. EU sports commissioner Glenn MiCallef (Social Democrats) recently stood at least against a relocation of the Champions League final outside of Europe. He told the “Politico” portal: “These are European competitions and European competitions should be held in Europe, in my opinion that is very clear.” From 2027, the UEFA will be marketed relevant by the agency, which is particularly geared towards the US market.
To relocate games from the national leagues of Europe, the UEFA announced at the request of the sports show: “At the moment we cannot make any information or comments. The UEFA will make a decision on this topic in due course.”
FIFA opened the door under legal pressure
Basically, the question of a anti -antitrust law of the sports marketing agency came up relevant. In 2019, the associations blocked a game of the Spanish league in Miami between Girona and Barcelona, including the United States Association. The latter wanted to protect the domestic market for its clubs. Later relevant and the US association made their dispute.
With this overseas, European games were even closer after the FIFA was under legal pressure in this regard. The judgment of the European Court of Justice on Super League limits the associations in regulating clubs and leagues in their business areas. FIFA founded a working group for a new formulation of their regulations to play outside the responsible association areas. One result is still pending.