La Liga has announced the cancellation of the planned Villarreal vs Barcelona match in Miami, originally scheduled for December, citing “uncertainty” caused by widespread criticism in Spain. The decision, made in conjunction with promoter Relevent, was confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night.
The league expressed deep regret, stating that holding an official match abroad would have been a “decisive step” for global growth. It argued that such initiatives are essential for sustainability and revenue generation, especially given the dominance of the Premier League and Uefa Champions League.
The move faced significant opposition. Players protested by refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of recent matches, with the Spanish footballers’ association criticising La Liga’s “lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence.” Real Madrid filed two complaints to the Spanish sports ministry, with manager Xabi Alonso saying the plan “distorts the competition.”
Uefa had reluctantly approved the match earlier this month, reiterating its opposition to domestic league games abroad. Relevent stated that uncertainty in Spain left “insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale,” leading to the postponement.
Villarreal manager Marcelino criticised the timing of the announcement, which came during his team’s Champions League defeat to Manchester City. He called it an “absolute lack of respect” to release the statement at half-time, adding that he found out after the game.
