LaLiga’s plan to bring a match to the United States is closer than ever to reaching their goal, according to new reports from AS and the Daily Mail. Per sources cited by both outlets, the selected match to be played in Miami would be Barcelona-Atletico Madrid on December 22.
The Daily Mail says that authorities are “hopeful” they will receive the necessary approval. Meanwhile, according to AS, while both teams are on board “the necessary bureaucratic process needs to be completed.”
Among those procedures, Relevent, LaLiga’s partner in the North American market, has to get FIFA’s approval in time. AS says that “updates on the ongoing negotiations with FIFA are expected soon.” However, after obtaining permission from the governing body, the match would still need approval from the US and Spain’s Federations.
Javier Tebas has pushed to celebrate at least one LaLiga match in the United States since signing the 15-year agreement with Relevent way back in 2018. However, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), at the time under former president Luis Rubiales, was totally against the project.
Per the report from AS, it is expected that the RFEF will be more receptive to the idea under a new president. The governing body currently lacks a leader after Pedro Rocha stepped in as interim president following Rubiales’s resignation for kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent. However, Rocha was suspended for two years by the country’s Administrative Sports Court (TAD) for exceeding his authority after Rubiales’s departure. The RFEF will hold elections to select a new president on Dec. 16.
LaLiga teams could oppose the plan
Real Madrid and Barcelona have previously faced off in several pre-season matches in the United States. However, holding an official match from a domestic competition represents a significant shift. While LaLiga is optimistic about this possibility, other teams could pose challenges.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas aims to innovate, particularly given that the U.S. market is the league’s second most important after Spain. While progress is being made, there remains a considerable journey ahead to bring this vision to fruition.