- Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid may be played in Miami in December
- La Liga seeks FIFA approval for historic US match
- Would be first-ever La Liga game played in the United States
Barcelona’s upcoming league match against Atletico Madrid on December 22 could potentially take place in Miami, pending approval from FIFA. This would mark the first instance of a La Liga match being played in the United States.
FIFA, football’s governing body, is set to make the final decision regarding the proposal. The match is scheduled just before La Liga enters its winter break, with both teams also preparing for the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia in early January.
In April, FIFA withdrew from a legal challenge posed by match promoter Relevent, which aims to organize overseas league matches in the U.S. The following month, FIFA announced the establishment of a working group to assess the implications of hosting domestic matches abroad.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has expressed interest in expanding the league’s reach to international audiences. In 2019, Barcelona attempted to hold a match against Girona in Miami, but the plan was abandoned due to opposition from Spain’s football association and players’ union.
While league sources indicate that further preparations are necessary, there is optimism about receiving the necessary approvals. In contrast, the Premier League has stated it has no intentions of staging games outside the UK.
