Barcelona vs. Villarreal in Miami canceled: Why did La Liga call off the match in the US?
For months, European soccer had been stirred by the plan to host an official La Liga match outside Spanish territory for the first time. The United States was the chosen destination, with Hard Rock Stadium in Miami selected as the venue for Barcelona vs. Villarreal. But that idea has now been scrapped.
La Liga confirmed the decision on Tuesday through an official statement published on its website. “Following conversations with the promoter of the Official LALIGA Match in Miami, the decision has been made to cancel the organization of the event due to the uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks,” the statement began.
This move comes largely in response to strong opposition from several Spanish clubs, as well as from many of the players competing in the league. In fact, over the weekend, protests took place during La Liga matches, with players refusing to play during the opening seconds of each game.
“La Liga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the international expansion of Spanish soccer, will not be able to move forward,” the statement released Tuesday continued. “Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition.”
The message also emphasized the broader impact this cancellation will have on Spanish soccer. “Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem,” La Liga said.
Real Madrid, the leading opponents
In recent weeks, several voices across Spain expressed their opposition to La Liga’s decision to stage the match between Barcelona and Villarreal in another country. Real Madrid emerged as the most vocal opponents, with several players even speaking out publicly.
“I think it’s a clear distortion of the competition that means not all La Liga teams are competing under the same conditions,” said Dani Carvajal this week, according to Marca. “I believe it’s essential that we, the players, the clubs, and the league itself, be fair. We have to stand for what’s right, and I don’t think this is it.”
Last-minute cancellation from La Liga
Despite the backlash surrounding the match, La Liga officials had remained firm in their plans to take the game to Miami in recent weeks. Even Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, had responded to the controversy earlier on Tuesday by saying, “Real Madrid can say what they want—we’re going to Miami.”
In fact, La Liga’s official social media channels continued to promote the match in the United States as recently as Monday. However, it’s clear that widespread discontent among Spanish clubs and players—along with the strong opposition from Real Madrid, one of the country’s most powerful teams—forced a sudden reversal.
When and where will Barcelona vs. Villarreal be played?
The match between Villarreal and Barcelona is part of Matchday 17 of La Liga and, along with the other nine games of that round, is scheduled to take place during the weekend of December 20–21. The original plan was for both teams to face off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday, December 20, but that will no longer happen.
Now, it’s a matter of waiting for official updates from La Liga regarding the rescheduling of the match. However, with the U.S. venue off the table, all signs point to Villarreal and Barcelona playing at the originally designated location: Estadi de la Ceramica.