La Liga cancels Villarreal vs Barcelona Miami match amid backlash
La Liga has officially cancelled plans to stage the Villarreal vs Barcelona match in Miami, citing insufficient time and uncertainty in Spain.
The match, originally scheduled for 20 December at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, had been approved by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in August.
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However, the decision immediately drew widespread backlash across Spain, with players staging brief on-field protests, refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of La Liga matches last weekend.
Promoters Relevent Sports, who partnered with La Liga for the event, initially announced a postponement, but the league later confirmed a full cancellation. The fixture will now take place at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica as originally planned.
“Given the current uncertainty in Spain, there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale. It would also be irresponsible to begin selling tickets without a confirmed match in place.”
La Liga echoed those concerns, expressing disappointment over the lost opportunity to expand the league’s global reach.
“La Liga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalization of Spanish football, cannot go ahead. Hosting an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition.”
The announcement was made during Villarreal’s 2–0 Champions League defeat to Manchester City, prompting an angry response from Villarreal manager Marcelino, who slammed the timing of the decision.
“It is absolutely disrespectful to the club, professionals, board of directors and fans,” Marcelino said. “The club will release an official statement, but this is just what I think.”
