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57m ago

RFEF Approves Moving Villarreal-Barça Fixture to Miami

The proposal now heads to UEFA for review before it must secure sign-offs from FIFA, CONCACAF, the U.S. federation, the players’ union, LaLiga’s clubs assembly.

Cardona y Lamine en un partido entre el Villarreal y el Barça.
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Overview

  • On August 11, the RFEF board voted to relocate Villarreal’s December 20 home match against Barcelona from Estadio de la Cerámica to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
  • Following the federation’s go-ahead, the request has been sent to UEFA, which must decide on the move by late November under FIFA’s international match regulations.
  • If UEFA approves, the proposal will proceed for endorsements from FIFA, the CONCACAF region, the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Spanish players’ union (AFE) and LaLiga’s clubs assembly.
  • The initiative relies on FIFA’s April 2024 rule change permitting overseas league games and LaLiga’s partnership with Relevent Sports through its North America arm.
  • Opponents warn that shifting Villarreal’s home fixture to a neutral U.S. venue with a predominantly Barcelona-supporting crowd could undermine competitive balance and disenfranchise local fans.