The cancellation of La Liga’s plan to host a Barcelona match in Miami in December is a «missed opportunity» for Spanish football, the league’s president said on Wednesday.
Champions Barça were due to play Villarreal in the United States on December 20, which would be the first match in European competition to be played abroad.
The match will now be played, as usual, at Villarreal’s home, the Estadio de la Ceramica.
La Liga said the match’s promoter has decided to cancel the organization of the event due to «uncertainty that has arisen in Spain in recent weeks».
La Liga president Javier Tebas spoke up X to express his regret at not being able to seize “this historic opportunity”, adding that Spanish football has missed an opportunity to “develop, project itself in the world and strengthen its future”.
RELATED: La Liga cancels Villarreal vs Barcelona scheduled in Miami
The plan to hold the competition in the United States had been criticized by various parties.
The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) organized protests against this last weekend, with players from each team remaining motionless for 15 seconds at the start of each league match.
Spanish giants Real Madrid also denounced it institutionally, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saying on Tuesday it would distort competition.
Madrid captain Dani Carvajal told Tebas that the match being held abroad would be a “stain” on the competition.
Tebas added: “We appeal to the ‘integrity of competition’ from those who have been questioning this same integrity for years, putting pressure on referees and managers, constructing distorted narratives or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool.”
Published on October 22, 2025
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1015x359:1017x361)/demi-moore-rumer-scout-tallulah-042225-0cef910356a64a99b9cd5e6edb790442.jpg?w=238&resize=238,178&ssl=1 "Demi Moore recuerda por qué ‘se ausentó del trabajo para estar con mis hijos’")
