The proposal now heads to European soccer’s governing body UEFA before requiring final approval from FIFA – the last hurdle in La Liga President Javier Tebas’ American dream.
“At its meeting on 11 August 2025, the RFEF Board of Directors received a request from Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona to play their match on matchday 17 of the first division in the United States,” RFEF said in a statement.
“… the Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit the request to UEFA to begin the process for subsequent authorisation by FIFA for the match to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 20 December 2025 …”
LaLiga has been pursuing their transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the strategy employed by the NFL and NBA to establish themselves in other markets.
Tebas’ first attempt came in the 2018-19 season with a proposed Girona-Barca match in the U.S. that never materialised.A planned Villarreal-Atletico fixture for 2019-20 also fell through, with the matter ending up in the courts after the RFEF refused authorisation.The courts sided with the Spanish Federation, then under Luis Rubiales, who was sacked in 2023 for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth celebrating Spain’s women’s World Cup victory in Sydney.There was another near-miss last season, with a Barcelona-Atletico match almost proceeding before La Liga pulled back at the last minute to better structure the project.
Now, with regulatory barriers cleared and internal conflicts resolved, the Villarreal-Barcelona clash appears poised to finally deliver Spanish football’s long-awaited American adventure.
FAQs
Q1. When did Lionel Messi play for Barcelona?
A1. Lionel Messi played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021.
Q2. Which is current team of Lionel Messi?
A2. Current team of Lionel Messi is Inter Miami.
