UEFA Confirms Barcelona And AC Milan Will Play La Liga And Serie A Games Abroad

UEFA has authorized La Liga and Serie A to hold league matches abroad, a move the European governing body labeled as “regrettable” and “exceptional.”

This decision permits Barcelona to compete against Villarreal in Miami, Florida, for a La Liga match, and AC Milan to take on Como in Perth, Australia, marking the first instance of Europe’s major domestic league games being played outside their home nations.

The significant ruling followed separate requests from the Spanish and Italian football federations, which were “reluctantly” approved during a recent UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Tirana. In its official statement, UEFA emphasized its “clear opposition” to moving domestic league games overseas but noted that deficiencies in FIFA’s regulatory framework left it with no alternative.

“UEFA has today reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country,” the statement read. “After consultations with stakeholders, including fans, leagues, clubs, players, and European institutions, it became clear that there was widespread lack of support for such a move. However, given that the relevant FIFA regulatory framework is not clear and detailed enough, the UEFA Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it. UEFA 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.”

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin issued a separate statement expressing his dissatisfaction with the decision, emphasizing that it should not be viewed as establishing a precedent. “League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions,” Čeferin said. “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. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”

The Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami is set for January 2026, while the Milan vs Como game in Australia is slated for February 2026. UEFA reaffirmed its opposition to the concept and will push for new regulations to prevent further matches from being played abroad.

Reports indicate that FIFA will have the final authority, as it is still refining its updated regulations on this issue. UEFA officials are collaborating closely with FIFA’s working group to ensure future rules explicitly ban relocating domestic matches outside their home countries.

The decision has drawn significant criticism from fan groups and European officials. Last month, European Union Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef stated that holding domestic league games abroad “isn’t innovation, it’s betrayal,” while Football Supporters Europe (FSE) denounced UEFA’s reluctant approval of the two matches despite its stated opposition.

In its statement, FSE declared: “FSE will continue to stand firmly with fans in Spain and Italy in resisting these damaging proposals. Together with our members in these countries, we are looking into every possible option to counter these plans. 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. Now is the time for a solid regulatory framework that protects domestic competition. We remain committed to working with UEFA, the European institutions, and all relevant bodies to uphold the voice of supporters and protect European football.”

Despite the criticism, UEFA officials stressed that the exceptional approval was driven by procedural necessity rather than support and reiterated their commitment to preserving the integrity and tradition of European domestic football.

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Nnamdi Okoli