Barcelona’s trip to Miami is put on hold after player protests
LaLiga has announced that the Villarreal-Barcelona game on December 20 will not go ahead at Hard Rock Stadium.
LaLiga has announced that the controversial overseas game between Villarreal and Barcelona will not be played in Miami on December 20.
Relevent, the event’s promoter, has said that there is now “insufficient time” to organize the event, which was set to become the first Spanish top flight fixture to be played on foreign soil. The decision to allow the game to be played in Miami was the focus of player protests across LaLiga last weekend, with players standing stationary for the opening 15 seconds of games across the country.
🚨 Villarreal vs. Barcelona in Miami has been called off, both LaLiga and match promoters Relevent Sports confirm. The match was due to take place at Hard Rock on December 20.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 21, 2025
🗣️ LaLiga say "the decision has been made to cancel the event due to the uncertainty that has prevailed… pic.twitter.com/wskXFPk1ym
A release from LaLiga goes: “LALIGA deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.”
“The staging of an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players and the Spanish football brand in a strategic market such as the United States.”
The LaLiga statement went on to warn of the possible consequences of this postponement, pointing to the increased competition from other leagues. LaLiga is trying to catch up with the commercial revenues of the Premier League, English soccer’s top division.
“In a context of increasing global competitiveness, where leagues such as the Premier League and competitions such as the UEFA Champions League continue to increase their reach and ability to generate resources, initiatives such as this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish football.
“Passing up such opportunities makes it difficult to generate new revenue, limits clubs’ ability to invest and compete, and reduces the international profile of the entire football ecosystem.”
It is not yet clear what the future will be for LaLiga’s hopes of an international game, or what will happen to the Villarreal-Barcelona game. But the decision to pull back from the December 20 date represents a major embarrassment for LaLiga.
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