UEFA ‘reluctantly’ gives green light for Barcelona to play LaLiga match in USA, Serie A to play in Australia

UEFA has finally approved the two proposals coming from the Spanish LaLiga and the Italian Serie A to play two league matches abroad later this season, despite opposition to the idea. Following Monday’s historic decision by UEFA, Barcelona are now expected to face Villarreal in Miami this December, while AC Milan will face Como in Perth, Australia, in February.

“UEFA has today reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country. After the meeting of its Executive Committee in Tirana last month, UEFA undertook further consultations with stakeholders to assess the extent of the implications of the issue, following the applications it received from the Spanish and Italian national football associations. That consultation confirmed the widespread lack of support that had already been raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions around the concept of domestic league matches being relocated abroad,” the statement read.

“However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework — currently under review — is not clear and detailed enough, the UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it. UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities. In parallel, all UEFA national associations confirmed their commitment to engage with UEFA before submitting any future requests. In doing so, they voiced their collective determination to safeguard the wider interests of European football.” 

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin added, “League matches should be played on home soil, anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue. While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment”.

AC Milan will face Como on Feb. 6 in Perth as their home stadium, San Siro, will host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games that will take place in Italy next year, while Barcelona will face Villarreal in Miami in December (the date will be confirmed later) in what will be the first ever LaLiga and Serie A games played outside the countries.