La Liga has called off plans to stage the La Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami this December, citing "uncertainty" arising from opposition in Spain. The decision was taken jointly with promoter Relevent, with the league expressing "deep regret" over the cancellation.
In a statement, La Liga said the initiative would have been "a decisive step in the global growth of the competition" and argued that such ventures are necessary to compete with the Premier League and Uefa Champions League in revenue generation. It warned that renouncing such opportunities limits clubs' capacity to invest and compete.
The announcement follows protests during the latest round of fixtures, with players refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of matches. The Spanish footballers' association said the symbolic protest was in response to the league's "lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence" over the Miami match. Real Madrid have filed two complaints with the Spanish sports ministry, with manager Xabi Alonso arguing the move "distorts the competition", while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said: "La Liga does whatever it wants because it suits them."
Uefa had earlier approved the match on an exceptional basis, alongside a Serie A fixture between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, despite reiterating its opposition to domestic matches being played abroad. Relevent, in a separate statement, said it had informed La Liga of the need to postpone, citing insufficient time to organise the event due to uncertainty in Spain.
Villarreal manager Marcelino criticised the timing of the announcement, which came during his side's Champions League defeat by Manchester City. He said it was "an absolute lack of respect" to release such news, adding that the club would issue an official statement the following day.
