UEFA approves Villarreal-Barcelona LaLiga match to be played in Miami

UEFA has approved the Villarreal-Barcelona LaLiga fixture to be played in Miami, the organisation said on Monday, calling the decision exceptional and not a precedent for future matches.

The European football governing body said it had accepted the request from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to stage the match, part of LaLiga’s 17th round, in the United States. The exact date has not been confirmed.

UEFA also approved the Milan-Como Serie A fixture to be played in Perth, Australia.

UEFA said it remains opposed to domestic league matches being played outside national borders but cited ambiguity in FIFA’s regulatory framework, which is under review.

“League matches should be played at home,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said. “Any other measure would deprive loyal fans of their rights and could introduce distorting elements into the competitions.”

Ceferin said the approvals were exceptional and should not be seen as setting a precedent. He added that UEFA’s priority was to protect the integrity of national leagues and maintain football’s connection with local communities.

UEFA said it will work with FIFA to ensure clearer future rules and confirmed that all national associations had agreed to consult UEFA before submitting similar requests.