UEFA said Monday it will reluctantly step aside and not block plans for Barcelona to play a league match in Miami and for AC Milan to feature in Australia – moves that shatter long-standing European football traditions.
Despite fierce backlash from fan groups across Europe, UEFA’s approval marked a key hurdle cleared for La Liga’s plan to stage Villarreal vs. Barcelona in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Dec. 20, and Serie A’s AC Milan vs. Como clash in Perth in February.
The European body said its hands were tied, citing the absence of clear regulations from FIFA to prevent such overseas fixtures – arrangements many fans fear could erode clubs’ deep-rooted connections with their home communities.
“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,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
UEFA said it 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.”
The Football Supporters Europe network of fan groups said it will continue working to stop the games abroad, which it believes also unbalances the sporting integrity of domestic leagues.
“By forcing through these matches, La Liga and Serie A risk undermining their own history and long-term success while inflicting long-lasting harm to football in Europe – and beyond,” FSE said. The group is recognized by UEFA as its official liaison partner on fan issues.
The Spanish and Italian leagues have long been seen as the most likely to push for so-called “out-of-territory” games as they seek to counter the global popularity and financial power of England’s Premier League.
La Liga and its American commercial partner, Relevent, an agency co-founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, had tried to place a Barcelona game in Florida since 2018 but were blocked by FIFA rules.
Fresh plans became inevitable 18 months ago when FIFA withdrew from a legal action brought by Relevent in a Manhattan court. Weeks later, FIFA said it would review its rules and created a working group that includes UEFA lawyers.
Relevent has since become a key commercial partner of UEFA and the European Club Association, being entrusted this year to sell six years’ worth of commercial rights for the Champions League and other continental competitions through 2033.
Barcelona is expected to be placed by Relevent in the area where its iconic former star Lionel Messi has moved to play for Inter Miami.
The Dec. 20 game at Hard Rock Stadium would nominally be a home match for Villarreal, which is playing in the Champions League this season. The clash is sure to attract an overwhelming majority of fans wanting to see Barcelona.
Barcelona’s financial struggles, ongoing since Messi left the club in 2021 – initially to Paris Saint-Germain for two seasons – have deepened, and a game in South Florida is an opportunity to expand its fan base and brand.
Games abroad for those reasons have become routine in U.S. pro sports leagues, with the latest NFL games in Dublin last week and London on Sunday, but they still jar with European football culture, which thrives on tribal rivalries and fans of visiting teams being in the stadium.
Germany’s Bundesliga has said it has no plans to take games abroad and would likely face a strong backlash from fan groups if it tried.
The Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which opens Feb. 6, gave the Italian league an opening to seek a game abroad.
The opening ceremony is in the storied San Siro stadium shared by AC Milan and Inter Milan, and the league scheduled Milan’s home game against near-neighbor Como on Feb. 8, when the venue would not be ready for football.
Milan, a seven-time European champion that failed to qualify for this season’s Champions League, has been a popular visitor with the Italian diaspora in Australia on previous trips.
