It has been called the biggest existential threat to European football since the failed Super League. Now it is close to becoming reality, and the consequences could be far-reaching if, as expected, La Liga and Serie A are allowed to host domestic matches abroad in the coming weeks. The sport risks losing its identity if Barcelona and Villarreal are permitted to break tradition and play a top-flight game in Miami this December.
The issue has dominated recent discussions among football’s decision-makers. At its core, the immediate question is straightforward: if UEFA’s executive committee approves the plans at its meeting in Tirana on Thursday, the final decision will rest with FIFA, likely at its council meeting on October 2. FIFA is unlikely to oppose the idea, and the real question will be how groundbreaking a precedent has been set.
Some UEFA officials will vote only after careful consideration. The Guardian understands they will be asked to approve the specific La Liga and Serie A matches—the latter being a game between Milan and Como scheduled for Perth, Australia, next February—on an exceptional basis, rather than endorsing the general concept of overseas fixtures.
One committee member, Hans-Joachim Watzke, who chairs the German football league’s supervisory board, has already voiced his opposition. He stated this week that the Bundesliga will not follow suit. Others may seek more information before taking a position.
Even if permission is granted only for these individual cases, no one believes this genie can be put back in the bottle. That became clear when Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said last month he would have liked to play the entire first round of the league abroad.
The path has been cleared for UEFA to approve the proposed games. Senior figures believe blocking them would require a change to UEFA’s statutes, which cannot be done quickly. Moreover, last year’s settlement between FIFA and U.S.-based promoter Relevent Sports—which ended a lawsuit over FIFA’s ban on overseas league games—has left little legal room to maneuver.
If European football authorities are serious about opposing such a fundamental shift, it’s worth noting they have had ample time to act. Although the Premier League’s “39th game” proposal faded in the late 2000s, La Liga and Relevent first tested the waters in 2018 with an attempt to stage a Barcelona-Girona match in Miami.
That move was blocked by FIFA, leading to Relevent’s lawsuit. Since then, however, UEFA and Relevent have grown closer. This year, Relevent was awarded global commercial rights for UEFA’s club competitions from 2027 to 2033 and has openly expressed its intent to challenge football’s more conservative traditions. Some observers question how two parties with opposing views on overseas games could enter such a partnership.
Regardless, football once again seems poised to react rather than proactively address a long-standing controversy. In May 2024, FIFA confirmed it would form a working group to review rules on relocating domestic league games. By October, it predicted recommendations would come “in the coming months.”
So far, no decisions have been made. The group is understood to have met twice, in January and June, with a third meeting tentatively scheduled for this month.FIFA initially promised that fan organizations would be represented on its new committee, but they are not among its 15 members. Instead, the group includes Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, along with representatives from the US and Saudi football federations. Daniel Sillman, CEO of Relevent, is also part of the team responsible for developing proposals that will influence the future of football.
Revised regulations are not expected until the end of this year, and even that timeline could be delayed. By then, La Liga, Barcelona, and Villarreal will likely have already played a match in Florida. While all parties express a desire to limit how many games a league can move abroad and how many one country can host, these rules would come too late to affect the initial plans. There are also concerns among those familiar with legal issues about how enforceable such restrictions would be.
Could fan protests change what seems like an inevitable path? In England, the urgency hasn’t fully registered, partly because the Premier League currently states it has no plans to follow La Liga and Serie A in playing matches overseas. There may also be a sense of fatigue, given how often commercial interests have been prioritized over the traditions that give the game its heart. Still, Football Supporters Europe has released a statement opposing these plans, signed by over 500 fan groups from 28 countries. So far, their voices have been left out of the conversation.
Supporters of taking domestic games abroad argue that international markets and fanbases have grown so much that everyone deserves a taste of the action. This overlooks the fact that much of football’s appeal comes from its deep roots in local culture and identity. It also ignores that hosting a single match for 65,000 people in Miami is unlikely to inspire an entire nation. The financial pressures driving La Liga and Serie A—leagues that lag far behind the Premier League in revenue—are clear. Rather than tackling the underlying issues, the approach seems to be forging ahead, risking lasting damage to the sport.
This week, Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport, warned in an op-ed that these plans threaten to undermine the European sports model. “Taking competitions away from [the fans] is not innovation but a betrayal of trust,” he wrote. In response, Tebas accused Micallef on social media of speaking out on this issue while remaining silent on matters like the Club World Cup and state ownership of clubs. Tebas argued that bringing a match to fans in the US “does not break tradition … it projects it.” Time will soon tell who is right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful FAQs about UEFAs role in preventing domestic league matches from being played in other countries
General Beginner Questions
1 What does domestic matches being played abroad mean
It means a regular league game that is normally played in a teams home country being moved and hosted in a different country like a game between two English teams being played in the United States
2 Why would anyone want to play a domestic match in another country
The main reason is money Leagues and clubs see it as a way to grow their global fanbase and generate significant new revenue from broadcasting deals sponsorships and ticket sales in new markets
3 Who is UEFA and what is their role in this
UEFA is the governing body for football in Europe They organize tournaments like the Champions League and the European Championship Their role is to oversee and regulate the sport across the continent including protecting the structure of domestic leagues
4 What is UEFAs current stance on this
UEFA is strongly against the idea They believe domestic leagues are the heart of football and should be played within their own countries to protect the integrity of the competition and the fans who support their teams week in and week out
Advanced Detailed Questions
5 What specific power does UEFA have to stop this from happening
As the continental governing body UEFA can refuse to sanction any such matches They can also threaten clubs or leagues with penalties such as banning them from UEFAorganized competitions like the Champions League which is a powerful financial deterrent
6 What are the main arguments against playing league games abroad
It disadvantages away fans who may not afford to travel internationally
It undermines the sporting integrity of the league as neutral venues abroad are not true home or away grounds
It prioritizes commercial interests over local supporters who are the foundation of the clubs
It sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to more radical changes like a European Super League
7 Has this ever been tried before
There have been several proposals most notably the Game 39 idea in the English Premier League over a decade ago which was met with huge backlash and never happened More recently the Spanish league
