Overview
- Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal said moving Villarreal vs Barcelona to Miami undermines home‑and‑away fairness and breaches player agreements.
- The AFE coordinated 15‑second player standstills across LaLiga games, and several broadcasts cut away from the protests, drawing player accusations of censorship.
- Villarreal are designated as the home team at Hard Rock Stadium, a neutrality critics say alters the competitive balance compared with playing at Estadio La Cerámica.
- Real Madrid have asked UEFA, the Spanish federation and Spain’s Sports Ministry to block the plan, filing complaints that argue the move harms competition integrity.
- LaLiga and president Javier Tebas defend the U.S. game as a step to grow global revenues and fan access, with tickets expected to go on sale this week after UEFA’s reluctant approval.