Spanish football heads across the Atlantic, and it's not for a holiday | OneFootball

The internationalization of European football is about to take another significant step. According to the Barça Blaugranes website, Barcelona and Villarreal will play an official LaLiga match in Miami, United States, as part of a global expansion strategy of the Spanish league. The event, still without a definitive date, promises to generate millions: each club is expected to pocket between 5 and 6 million euros for the match, not counting the gains from exposure and sponsorship.

For fans accustomed to live games today on Sunday afternoons, the change of scenery may seem strange at first glance — but it reflects an inevitable trend. LaLiga is trying to consolidate its international presence, approaching strategic markets such as the North American, which already hosts competitions like the NBA and the NFL with highly profitable business models. The goal is clear: to transform European football into a global product, available and consumed in any time zone.

According to a report by Barça Blaugranes, the idea has been in the works for years, but faced resistance from federations and players' unions. This time, however, the project gained political and financial support, driven by the commercial success of friendlies and international tournaments held on American soil.

The fight for new audiences and revenues

The Financial Times highlights that LaLiga sees the United States market as one of the most promising in the world for revenue growth. It is estimated that the country has more than 50 million football fans — many of them Latin American immigrants — and a growing appetite for high-level competitions. In addition, the presence of major clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid in promotional campaigns and international games has increased the visibility of the "LaLiga" brand in North American territory.

This expansion, however, goes beyond a simple away game. It is a strategic move to balance the finances of the clubs and compete with the English Premier League, which dominates the global broadcast market. According to data cited by the Financial Times, LaLiga raised about 1.8 billion euros from international rights in 2024, a figure still far from the 3.5 billion generated by the English in the same period.

A new commercial battleground

Taking official matches outside of Spain is, in essence, a symbolic gesture: football is consolidating as a transnational product. The game in Miami is not just about the 90 minutes on the field, but about advertising, contracts, and audience. The league seeks to retain new fans and attract brands willing to invest in hybrid experiences — between live entertainment and digital.

The challenge now is to balance tradition and expansion. For many fans, football is more than a global spectacle — it is a ritual rooted in stadiums and cities. Still, the future seems to point to a scenario where live games today can happen anywhere in the world, with the same fervor and the same audience.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.