RFEF Approves Villarreal Vs Barcelona LaLiga Match In Miami

‎Spanish football is set to make its long-awaited debut in the United States.

‎The Royal Spanish Football Federation has approved a proposal for Barcelona and Villarreal to play their December LaLiga match in Miami, nearly a decade in the making.

‎The RFEF board gave the green light on Monday for the teams’ matchday 17 game to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 20 in the first step towards the competition playing an official match abroad for the first time in its history.

‎The proposal now heads to European football’s governing body, UEFA, before requiring final approval from FIFA the last hurdle in LaLiga President Javier Tebas‘ American dream.

‎”At its meeting on 11 August 2025, the RFEF Board of Directors received a request from Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona to play their match on matchday 17 of the first division in the United States,” RFEF said in a statement.

‎”… the Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit the request to UEFA to begin the process for subsequent authorisation by FIFA for the match to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 20 December 2025 …”

‎LaLiga has been pursuing its transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the strategy employed by the NFL and NBA to establish itself in other markets.

‎Tebas’ previous attempt at playing in the US

‎Tebas first tried to take LaLiga to the US in 2018-19 with a proposed Girona vs Barcelona match, but it never materialised.

‎A planned Villarreal vs Atlético fixture in 2019-20 also collapsed, ending up in court after the RFEF denied authorisation.

‎The courts sided with the Spanish Federation, then under Luis Rubiales, who was sacked in 2023 for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth celebrating Spain’s women’s World Cup victory in Sydney.

‎Last season saw another near-miss, as a planned Barcelona vs Atlético match was called off at the last moment so LaLiga could refine the project. With regulatory hurdles now removed and internal disputes resolved, the path is clear.

‎The upcoming Villarreal vs Barcelona clash looks set to finally deliver Spanish football’s long-awaited debut in the United States.