Spanish Soccer League’s First Game Outside Spain Is Set for Miami in December

In a historic announcement, Spanish soccer league La Liga said it will hold a match on foreign soil for the first time ever on Dec. 20. The host country for the Barcelona vs. Villarreal contest will be the United States, with the venue being Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

It will also be the first match from any of the Big 5 European soccer leagues—which also include the EPL (England), Bundesliga (Germany), Serie A (Italy) and Ligue 1 (France)—to ever take place on foreign soil.

The match was originally scheduled for Dec. 21, with Villarreal set to host at its home grounds of Estadio de la Ceramica. It will now be played the day before, and Villarreal will still be the designated home team, although the game will take place roughly 4,500 miles away.

The relocation has been in the works for quite a while and needed sign-off from several parties. That included La Liga itself; the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body of Spanish soccer; the Union of European Football Associations; and the U.S. Soccer Federation.

La Liga President Javier Tebas issued a statement on Oct. 8 celebrating the achievement.

“This match is a historic step that takes LALIGA and Spanish football to an all-new level. We understand and respect the concerns this decision may raise, but it is important to put it in context: This is one game out of the 380 that make up the season,” Tebas said.

“LALIGA represents millions of fans around the world, including many who follow their teams passionately and deserve the chance to experience seeing them live at least once. This match is about bringing our football closer to that global fanbase without diminishing our commitment to those who enjoy it week in, week out in stadiums across Spain.”

The 2025–26 season is La Liga’s 96th, meaning nearly a full century of matches have taken place only in Spain. La Liga teams frequently visit other countries during preseason competitions, but never before during the regular season.

Just last summer, Barcelona toured the United States during preseason play, with matches in Orlando; East Rutherford, N.J.; and Baltimore. During preseason this year, the club visited Japan and South Korea. Villarreal has held recent preseason friendlies in France, Switzerland, England, and Austria.

While Miami fans will undoubtedly be delighted to see a La Liga match in their backyard, some of the players aren’t as thrilled. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is one of them.

“I don’t like it,” de Jong said in Dutch. “I can understand the clubs financially, they will of course profit from it, and they can spread their brand further across the world. But I wouldn’t do it.

“It’s not good for the players. You have to travel a lot, and it’s not fair in terms of competition. For us, it’s now an away match on neutral ground. I totally understand if other clubs aren’t happy about that.”

In terms of La Liga prestige, Barcelona and Real Madrid are a cut above all other clubs. One can easily see why, with the game taking place in Miami, Barcelona was chosen as one of the teams to compete. The greatest player in club history, and arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi, made his name and his fame at Barcelona and now applies his craft for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.

Wherever Messi goes, a swarm of fans follow. So when he moved to Miami, the locals likely educated themselves on Messi’s history with his former club. The MLS playoffs conclude in early December, and the Argentina National Team, for whom Messi has played, will hold its last match of 2025 in November. Thus, Messi could be free to attend Barcelona’s match versus Villarreal, which takes place just down the road from where Inter Miami plays in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

La Liga’s first match in the United States, coincidentally, will come just weeks after the NFL’s first game in Spain. On Nov. 16, the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins will play in Madrid.

Speaking of the Miami Dolphins, they are set to host a Sunday Night Football game versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 21 at Hard Rock Stadium. That means the grounds crew at the venue will have to reconfigure the stadium from a soccer pitch to a football field in less than 24 hours.