6 days ago
Real Madrid Takes Fight Over Barcelona-Villarreal US Game to FIFA
La Liga's plan to stage the December match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami has met strong opposition from Real Madrid, who say the move threatens the competition's integrity.
The Spanish top-flight's president, Javier Tebas, has been pushing to take a La Liga fixture to the United States as part of efforts to expand the league's global reach. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has approved the proposal to hold the Barcelona-Villarreal game in Miami, with final authorisation now awaited from UEFA.
Comunicado Oficial.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 12, 2025
Both Barcelona and Villarreal have shown support for the idea. However, Real Madrid have issued a formal statement criticising the decision to move the fixture away from Villarreal's home stadium, El Madrigal, without consulting all clubs involved.
Real Madrid's statement said: 'The integrity of the competition requires that all matches be played under the same conditions for all teams. Unilaterally modifying this system breaks the equality between competitors, compromises the legitimacy of the results and sets an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on interests unrelated to strictly sporting matters, with a clear impact on sporting integrity and the risk of adulterating the competition.'
The club also argued the move breaches the principle of territorial reciprocity, where teams play one home and one away game against each other.
Real Madrid have taken the dispute to football's governing bodies. They have written to FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish Higher Sports Council (CSD), requesting that the match not be authorised unless there is unanimous agreement from all clubs in the league.
Their statement outlined three specific actions: A request to FIFA to refuse authorisation without the consent of all participating clubs. A request to UEFA to urge the RFEF to withdraw or deny the request, citing a 2018 rule preventing domestic league matches being played outside the country except in exceptional circumstances. A request to the Higher Sports Council not to grant administrative permission without unanimous consent.
Real Madrid concluded: 'Real Madrid reaffirms its commitment to respecting the national and international rules that guarantee the fairness and proper functioning of official competitions, and will defend their compliance before all competent authorities.'
La Liga and the clubs involved have yet to respond publicly to Real Madrid's objections, leaving the future of the Miami fixture uncertain.
The episode raises questions over how far leagues should go to pursue international expansion at the potential cost of sporting fairness. Real Madrid's resistance suggests a clear divide within Spanish football over the balance between commercial interests and competition integrity.
It remains to be seen whether UEFA and FIFA will back La Liga's ambition or uphold Real Madrid's defence of tradition. For now, fans will wait to see if Miami hosts its first La Liga game this December or if the fixture stays on Spanish soil. Tags: BarcelonaFIFAFlorentino PerezReal MadridVillareal
