New Delhi: Current La Liga leaders Barcelona are scheduled to play title rivals Atletico Madrid at their home ground on December 22, 2024. That is due to be the headline match of the final weekend before La Liga pauses for the winter break. La Liga president, Javier Tebas, is looking to schedule that game in Miami, Florida in the United States, and is hoping that FIFA will approve the plan, making it the first La Liga game to be played on American soil.
FIFA is yet to approve the plan and will be the one taking the final decision on this matter. They recently withdrew a legal challenge by Relevent, a leading match promoter that is looking to stream league matches in the US. They also announced that they’re setting up a group which will focus on the potential impact of domestic matches being played abroad. Tebas has expressed his desire to take La Liga games to other countries earlier as well.
He’s been keen on the idea for a while now and La Liga tried to play two league games in the United States in 2019 as well. However, those plans couldn’t go through after opposition from the Spanish football association and the player’s union. While there is still work left to do on this plan according to the league sources, hopes within the league officials are high that it’ll be approved.
Why do La Liga and Barcelona want matches to be held in the US?
The Spanish top flight has been wanting to shift a few matches of the league season to be played abroad, especially in the United States of America for the past few years. This idea has remained constant, despite a change in the La Liga president. Both Javier Tebas and his predecessor, Luis Rubiales, were pretty keen on the prospect of league football being played in the US.
Speaking on the topic last summer, Tebas stated “It’s a mark of respect to the US fans [of La Liga]. We are seeing NBA and NFL playing in Europe or in Mexico. This would resonate in the American market.” Having huge matches like the Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid one will go a long way in strengthening the base of Spanish football in the country. Barcelona legend Lionel Messi currently plies his trade in the country so having his former club play in the same city as Messi’s club will help bring in more eyeballs to the product.
It would be the first time a La Liga match has been played in the US 🇺🇸#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/4DEcWxFVI0
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 22, 2024
Barcelona played Real Madrid at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a friendly game last summer and that drew 82,500 spectators into the stadium. It shows that there is a demand for the sport in the country and if huge games are being played, fans will come in numbers. The country is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup so hosting marquee club games in the buildup to the tournament isn’t a bad idea for the league.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are one of the most vocal supporters of the idea amongst all of the Spanish clubs. The monetary benefits that the club would receive from such a decision would help them greatly with their financial debt. According to Victor Font, the man who challenged club president Joan Laporta in the latest club elections, the club are currently billions of euros in debt.
Having been forced to play in a much smaller stadium since last season due to Spotify Camp Nou’s renovation, the club have lost an additional €50 million. Hence, if one of their games is moved to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, like what the plan is currently, it would give the club a major boost in their income. The monetary benefits of moving league games to the US are huge and that is sure to be one of the biggest motivators behind this plan.
