The match will take place in December, before Christmas, and constitutes a major development.
A La Liga match involving Barcelona is expected to be played outside Spain, becoming the first official match of a European league to be held outside the continent.
For several years in the early 2000s, the idea of a 39th Premier League match being played outside the United Kingdom was floated, but the plans never materialised after widespread opposition to the idea.
Premier League teams often tour Asia or the US to appeal to the large fan base they enjoy in these parts of the world.
These are usually in the form of pre-season tournaments, but in recent years there has also been an increase in post-season tournaments, which teams use to increase revenue.
Now the story seems to be coming true, as proposals to play an official championship match outside Europe have taken a major step forward.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed that it has received a request from Villarreal and Barcelona to move their La Liga match, which is currently scheduled to take place at the Estadio de la Ceramica on December 21, to the United States.
The request proposes that the match be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, a day earlier, on December 20.
A statement from the RFEF confirmed that the request will now be submitted to UEFA, which will begin the process of potentially approving a change of venue for the match, in collaboration with FIFA.
The statement says:
"On August 11, 2025, the RFEF Board of Directors was informed of the request from Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona to hold the 17th week of La Liga in the United States.
"After receiving and verifying the documentation and following the approval of the Board of Directors, the Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit to UEFA the request to initiate procedures for the subsequent authorization by FIFA for the match to be played at the 'Hard Rock Stadium' in Miami (United States, USSF, CONCACAF), on 20 December 2025, in accordance with the FIFA International Match Regulations and the implementing regulations approved by the RFEF."
Two previous attempts to hold La Liga matches outside Spain never materialized.
Barcelona were scheduled to face Girona at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami - where the Villarreal match was also to be held - in 2019, but the plans were scrapped after objections from the RFEF and the players' union.
Also, proposals to hold the match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Miami last year were not implemented due to lack of time, as the request was made only a few months before the match date. /GazetaExpress/
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