La Liga’s push to stage the Villarreal vs Barcelona match in Miami has quickly blown up into a political and sporting mess. The captains of all 20 first-division clubs, brought together by the Spanish Soccer Players Association (AFE), stood firmly against the plan. They unanimously rejected the idea of playing the December 20 fixture, part of the 17th round, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Players from rival clubs, who usually can’t agree on much, spoke with the same voice this time. For the AFE, the whole process was pushed forward without so much as a conversation with the athletes. They felt like pawns in a multi-million-dollar business game. The anger was laid out in their official statement: “Because of the absence of dialogue and information for the players, the start of the procedures for a project promoted by La Liga and approved without any information by the RFEF leadership is a lack of respect for the players when it involves changes on a sporting level and a move as workers outside the national territory in the context of a national league. We are united. We want respect and transparency.”
The choice of words was deliberate. The union stressed this isn’t just about the hassle of travel or logistics. It’s about principle. A national league, by definition, is played in its own country. Moving an official match abroad changes the nature of the competition itself.
The isolated support from Villarreal and Barcelona
What stands out is that the two clubs directly involved didn’t resist the idea at all. In fact, they’ve backed it from the start. For Villarreal and Barcelona, the plan looks like an opportunity to boost their brands, and La Liga’s, in North America, a market where the Premier League has already taken a huge lead. From a business angle, it adds up: a game in Miami brings sponsorships, headlines, and closer ties to fans who might never make it to Spain.
But soccer isn’t built only on numbers. For the other 18 squads, who also compete week in and week out, the impression is that the decision catered to a select few while ignoring the rest. If La Liga truly wants to expand its footprint, it can’t just sell the idea to sponsors. It also has to get buy-in from the players who actually step onto the pitch.
Between global marketing and basic respect
La Liga has chased the Premier League for years, trying to close the gap in global popularity. Sending official games to the United States is just one more piece of that strategy. But there’s a fine line between growth and overreach. When the players’ union says “workers displaced outside the national territory,” it’s pointing straight at the frustration of being treated like assets on a balance sheet instead of professionals with a say in their own jobs.
And this debate isn’t exactly new. Back in 2018, talk of La Liga matches in Miami surfaced for the first time, and resistance was strong then too. The difference now is that the proposal has moved further along, with the date, venue, and clubs already in place. Even so, without FIFA and UEFA giving the green light, nothing is locked in. If history is any guide, Spanish officials will keep pushing, despite hitting the same roadblocks over labor rights and sporting integrity every time.