The UEFA Executive Committee approved "on an exceptional basis" the request from the Spanish LaLiga and the Italian Serie A to play first division matches of the 2025/26 season abroad. The UEFA measure covers the Villarreal-FC Barcelona and Milan-Como matches, both to be played in the United States and Australia, respectively.

In the case of the match between the Castellón team and the Barça team, it corresponds to matchday 17 of LaLiga. The 'Yellow Submarine' would be at home at the Estadio de la Cerámica on that date, but finally there will be a neutral ground for a match for which the Villarreal board has pledged to pay for their members' trip.

Thus, Javier Tebas finally gets the green light to fulfill one of his main objectives: to take official League matches to foreign markets. Villarreal-Barça will be played at the Hard Rock Stadium, probably on Sunday, December 21. The Milan-Como, on the other hand, will be moved to Australia (Perth) in mid-February 2026.

UEFA Does Not Yield on Its Position Regarding League Matches Abroad

Beyond the 'Ok' from the UEFA Executive Committee to the requests from LaLiga and Serie A, the president of the highest body in European football, Aleksander Ceferin, reiterates that, in his opinion, league matches should not be played outside of their country of origin.

In that sense, Ceferin assures that the organization he presides over will continue working together with FIFA to "preserve the integrity of domestic competitions," as well as the relationship between clubs, fans, and the communities to which they belong.

"League matches should be played at home; any other measure would deprive loyal fans of their rights and could introduce distorting elements into the competitions," the UEFA president stated.

He also added: "Our consultation confirmed the magnitude of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national federations for their constructive and responsible commitment to such a sensitive issue."

Beyond this position, UEFA understands that, if the clubs involved agree with the federations and leagues to play outside their borders, there is little it can do to oppose it. Even more so after FIFA lifted the ban on playing first division matches abroad last year.

LaLiga will soon confirm the date and time of Villarreal-Barça

Lamine Yamal during Villarreal-Barça (1-5)

Now, it is up to the employers to define all logistical aspects regarding Villarreal-Barça, starting with the confirmation of the date and time of the match. This will be the last match for both teams in 2025, prior to the end-of-year break, so there will be enough time for the transfer of the squads.

In addition, LaLiga must resolve other pending issues, such as Real Madrid's decision to challenge the match corresponding to matchday 17. Another issue has to do with the distribution of tickets, most of which correspond to the 'Yellow Submarine' as it is a match where they would be the home team. 

Barcelona, meanwhile, is counting on a large turnout at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, thanks to the team's popularity in North America. The Florida stadium has a capacity of 65,326 spectators and will host the next World Cup, hosting a total of seven matches.