The competitive La Liga fixture, to be held in Miami, comes after years of conflict over a possible league match played outside of Europe
Welcome to the footballing apocalypse. This is the thing that Europe was so, so afraid of. As a continent, they gatekeep their sport so expertly. Soccer is for them, not for the world - at least, in person. Or many in the European game, anyway, would have you believe.
So much for that.
What started in 2019 - and had been in gestation since far before then - has become reality. A European league will play a competitive soccer match in the United States. After years of flirtation, months of talks, and weeks of complaints, we have the details. The match will be played in Miami, between Barcelona and Villarreal, on Dec. 20. La Liga have signed off. Other parties have reluctantly agreed.
The logistics, then, are fairly simple. Two football teams who routinely play matches overseas every summer will do so again. In one sense, this isn't particularly new. Except for one enormous caveat: this game actually matters. Three points are on the line. For Barcelona, it could be a crucial result as they look to retain the La Liga title. For Villarreal, it will surely be pivotal as they push for European football. The teams currently sit second and third in the table.
And that's where the tension lies here. The problem is not that a game between two Spanish teams is being played on American soil. The real issue is that it will count. It should also be noted that La Liga isn't alone - Serie A confirmed that a fixture between AC Milan and Como will be played in Perth, Australia in early 2026, another groundbreaking moment in the sport’s globalization.
Specific to the Miami match, there are two camps: those for an American-based game, and those against. Their disagreements are fundamental and unlikely to be resolved no matter what argument either party puts forth. This raises larger questions about the soul of the game that simply cannot be answered in one fixture or even one season.
But what is clear - and perhaps far more pivotal - is what comes next. December's fixture, it would seem, could open the floodgates to something that simply cannot be stopped. The thirst for soccer in America is real. And now the game can be transplanted anywhere.