Barcelona to face Villarreal in Miami in historic La Liga fixture

Barcelona’s league clash with Villarreal will be played in Miami on December 20, marking the first time a top-flight European match is staged abroad, La Liga announced on Wednesday.

The fixture, originally set for Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica, will instead take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. La Liga president Javier Tebas hailed the move as “a historic step that projects La Liga and Spanish football into a new dimension.” He added that the decision concerns “a single match out of the 380 that make up the season.”

Villarreal will offer free travel for season ticket holders wishing to attend, while those who stay home will receive a 30 percent discount on next season’s pass.

Eighteen fan groups from both clubs have publicly opposed the decision, while Real Madrid warned in August that such games abroad would “alter the competitive balance” and set “an unacceptable precedent.”

UEFA had previously expressed its opposition to overseas domestic fixtures but agreed to make an exception, also approving a Serie A game between AC Milan and Como in Australia next February.

La Liga’s long-running push for international fixtures dates back to 2017, repeatedly blocked by Spain’s football federation.