The RFEF gives the green light to the Villarreal-Barça LaLiga match in Miami: What steps remain pending?

The match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF corresponding to matchday 17 of LaLiga EA Sports, budgeted to be played in Miami on December 20-21, is getting closer to becoming a reality. This Monday, August 11, a historic step was taken in Spanish football, as the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) —after a meeting held by members of its Board of Directors— gave the green light to the proposal.

Following this approval, the highest governing body of Spanish football has submitted the request to UEFA. A mandatory procedure in accordance with the FIFA Regulations for International Matches and the implementing rules approved by the Federation.

UEFA Authorization for the Villarreal CF - FC Barcelona match in Miami

With this in mind, the next step for the match to be held as planned is for the European body to grant the corresponding authorization. The regulation is clear in stating that:

"The confederation must authorize this request no later than 21 days before the match in question"

The response from UEFA is expected to arrive, at the latest, on November 30, a date that coincides with the 21 days prior to the match. The clash between 'culés' and 'groguets', as stated in previous lines, is scheduled to take place on December 20-21 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (if everything is approved).

If UEFA gives the green light, the next step will be to send the request to the confederation that regulates football in the place of celebration, in this case CONCACAF and the American Football Federation.

LaLiga's path to the United States: words from Tebas and the 'culé' president

Now, the official approval would mark a milestone, especially for the board of directors led by Javier Tebas, who has always had as one of his main objectives to internationalize the domestic competition by taking matches to the United States. In his own words in a recent interview, the Spanish-Costa Rican president assured:

"We have a commitment to play in Miami someday. We are already talking about involving important teams, or seeing an Atlético de Madrid against Barcelona. We will see what the calendar allows, but the idea is to bring a big club. It is clear that, due to existing relationships, the predisposition would be easier with Barça than with Real Madrid," he warned.

For its part, FC Barcelona does not look unfavorably on this option. In an interview for CNN in its American version, the top 'culé' leader stated:

"We are open and available. We love going to the United States every year: we feel loved, respected as a club, and we have many fans there. Playing LaLiga in that country would be interesting"

Previous attempts to take LaLiga to the United States and their obstacles

If materialized, this would be the success of a project that has been trying to materialize for years. In 2018, it was already proposed to play a LaLiga match in the United States, which would have pitted Barcelona against Girona at the same Hard Rock Stadium. However, that initiative was vetoed by the RFEF, then presided over by Luis Rubiales, due to a conflict with the president of the employers' association, Javier Tebas.

A second attempt occurred in October 2024, when it was proposed to move the match between Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid —scheduled for December 20— to Miami. At that time, the RFEF was led by a management board chaired by Pedro Rocha, who, to avoid sanctions, raised the consultation to the Superior Sports Council (CSD).

Finally, the Federation backtracked due to the delicate situation the organization was going through, considering that it was not the opportune moment to authorize the change.

The first official LaLiga match outside of Spain: a historic milestone

Today, with the path clearer, everything indicates that the first official commitment of the competition on foreign territory will be between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona. An unprecedented event that could mark a turning point in the history of LaLiga, opening the door to future initiatives to continue internationalizing the tournament.