Liga: Barça to play in Miami, UEFA's official statement | OneFootball

Fermin Lopez

It's official! The highly anticipated Villarreal vs Barça clash in La Liga will take place in Miami, United States. UEFA has just confirmed the decision.

On Monday, UEFA exceptionally approved the relocation of two European top-flight matches. Indeed, the La Liga fixture between Villarreal and FC Barcelona, scheduled for December 21, will be held in Miami, USA, while the Serie A matchup between AC Milan and Como will take place the same day in Perth, Australia. These decisions come in response to requests from the Spanish La Liga and the Italian league, both aiming to promote their competitions internationally.

"UEFA today reiterated its clear opposition to national league matches being played outside their country of origin. After the meeting of its Executive Committee in Tirana last month, UEFA undertook further consultations with stakeholders to assess the implications of this issue, following requests from the Spanish and Italian football associations. This consultation confirmed the lack of widespread support previously voiced by fans, other leagues, clubs, players, and European institutions regarding the concept of hosting national league matches abroad. However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework—which is currently under review—is not sufficiently clear and detailed, UEFA's Executive Committee has reluctantly decided to exceptionally approve the two requests submitted. UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future regulations preserve the integrity of domestic competitions and the strong connection between clubs, their supporters, and local communities," stated UEFA, presided over by Aleksander Čeferin.