Uefa reluctantly clears Milan and Barcelona to play domestic league matches abroad

The LaLiga fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal will be staged in Miami in late December, while AC Milan’s Serie A encounter with Como will be held in Perth, Australia, in early February.

Milan opted for a foreign location as their San Siro stadium will be unavailable as both the city and the stadium prepare to host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 6.

Spain’s LaLiga has been pursuing their transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the strategy employed by the NFL and NBA to establish themselves in other markets.

Uefa said its Executive Committee had reluctantly approved the move as an exception, stressing that Fifa’s regulatory framework, still under review, lacks sufficient clarity and detail, and reiterating that it remains opposed in principle to such matches.

“League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions,” Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.

“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.”

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