Serie A 2025-26: AC Milan-Como match in Australia called off due to AFC conditions

A proposal to play a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled, the league and Western Australia’s government said on Monday, due to football sanctions and conditions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation.

The match was set to become the first major European domestic competition to be played outside the home country, but will now not go ahead due to financial risks and last-minute complications.

“In light of an escalation of further and unacceptable requests received by the AFC in recent hours to the Australian Federation and consequently to the Government of Western Australia and the Serie A Football League, it has become impossible to play the Milan-Como match in Perth on February 8,” Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said in a statement.

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The Italian FA approved Serie A’s request to move the February match due to the unavailability of San Siro as it hosts the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and UEFA reluctantly approved the match in October.

In addition to practical reasons, Serie A saw the match in Australia as an opportunity to promote its product abroad and believes that football should follow the example of other sports such as cycling, NFL and NBA.

The plans hit a stumbling block when the AFC first imposed conditions, including the obligation to appoint match officials, although Serie A had said on December 18 that the situation had been resolved. The Serie A cancellation comes two months after La Liga called off plans to play a league match between Barcelona and Villareal in Miami following criticism and opposition within Spain.

Published on December 22, 2025