LaLiga is making another run at bringing Spanish football to American soil. League president Javier Tebas announced Thursday that plans to stage a regular-season match in the United States are back on the table.
Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London, Tebas made it clear he's not backing down. "We are going to try again. I'm not sure when. We have to bring it up at the right time," he said.
This isn't LaLiga's first rodeo with this idea. Last year, Barcelona and Villarreal were set to face off at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on December 20. That would have made history as the first major European league match played overseas during the regular season.
But those plans collapsed in October after pushback from clubs, players, and fans. Many argued that moving a match abroad wasn't fair to the competition. Some teams would have to travel thousands of miles while others played at home.
Why Tebas Thinks It's Worth Another Shot
The LaLiga boss doesn't see what all the fuss is about. "I don't think it will cause damage," Tebas explained. "We are talking about one match out of 380 in a season."
He's looking at the NFL and NBA as models. American sports leagues have been playing games in London, Berlin, Madrid, and other international cities for years. Tebas argues that European football should return the favor.
"We celebrate Halloween, which we never celebrated 20 years ago. We have NFL games. We have NBA games," Tebas pointed out. His concern? In 50 years, European stadiums might be empty while NFL and NBA venues are packed.
The American leagues aren't coming to Europe for vacation, according to Tebas. They're building fanbases, signing TV deals, and recruiting young fans. "We opened the doors to Europe. Instead, the United States, which opens the doors for us to go, we close them here in Europe," he said.
What Went Wrong Before
LaLiga actually got pretty far with last year's plans. In October, both UEFA and the Spanish soccer federation approved the Miami game. But player protests erupted, and promoter Relevent eventually pulled the plug, saying there wasn't enough time to execute properly.
This wasn't even the first attempt. Back in 2019, another U.S. game was planned until FIFA stepped in. FIFA's ruling council emphasized that "official league matches must be played within the territory of the respective member association." Barcelona then withdrew from the plan.
For bettors following LaLiga, any future U.S. games could shake up the odds. Teams traveling across the Atlantic would face serious jet lag and disruption to their schedules. That could impact form in matches both before and after the U.S. trip, creating interesting betting angles on those fixtures.
Tebas also took a moment to criticize the ongoing Manchester City financial case. City faces over 100 charges for allegedly breaching Premier League rules, with no verdict announced despite hearings finishing in December 2024. "When you have this type of situation, you're generating uncertainty and that's damaging for an institution's image," Tebas said.
