Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Rayo Vallecano and FC Barcelona at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
UEFA delays decision on allowing Barcelona to play in Miami and AC Milan in Australia
GENEVA (AP) 鈥 A tradition-busting plan to play domestic league games for Barcelona in the United States and AC Milan in Australia failed to make key progress Thursday with fans promised more say in the decision.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Rayo Vallecano and FC Barcelona at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
GENEVA (AP) 鈥 A tradition-busting plan to play domestic league games for Barcelona in the United States and AC Milan in Australia failed to make key progress Thursday with fans promised more say in the decision.
The said it needed more time to weigh proposals by the Spanish and Italian leagues and talk more with fan groups. Fans overwhelmingly oppose taking competitive games outside Europe which soccer's world body FIFA previously blocked.
Spain’s La Liga wants to stage Villarreal’s 鈥渉ome鈥 game against Barcelona in Miami on Dec. 20 and Serie A wants to move the AC Milan-Como game in February to Perth, Australia.
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UEFA said its executive committee that is meeting in Tirana, Albania, acknowledged 鈥渁n important and growing issue鈥 and wanted 鈥渢o ensure that it has the views of all stakeholders before coming to a final decision.鈥
The plans have been by more than 500 fan groups in the Football Supporters Europe network that is officially recognized by UEFA. Fans object to clubs being taken out of their home community and upsetting the balance of sporting integrity in leagues.
鈥淲e welcome UEFA鈥檚 commitment to meaningful consultation,鈥 the FSE said in a statement, praising the 鈥渄edication to preserving the integrity of European football.鈥
In Brussels, the European Commission鈥檚 top official for sports, Glenn Micallef, has called the proposed game in Miami a betrayal.
There are no similar proposals from the leagues in England and Germany which would face a stronger backlash by fans than in Spain or Italy.
La Liga and Serie A have been financially outmuscled by the English Premier League’s global popularity and see a chance to build the fan base and brand for clubs and leagues, following the example of U.S. professional sports leagues.
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La Liga and its commercial partner Relevent, a U.S. marketing agency co-founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, first tried in 2018 to put a Barcelona game in the city but were blocked by a FIFA veto.
Fresh plans for so-called 鈥渙ut of territory鈥 games were inevitable last year when from a court case in New York filed by Relevent.
Relevent is now a major commercial partner for UEFA with rights awarded this year to sell six seasons’ worth of broadcast and sponsor deals from 2027 for the Champions League and other European club competitions.
FIFA has created a working group to review its rules on domestic games abroad, and its 37-member ruling council with eight from UEFA is due to meet next month.
UEFA leaders have previously said they do not support taking games abroad but seemed to lack legal power to block them.
鈥淓uropean football belongs to our stadiums, our cities, our communities,” the FSE group said. “One domestic match abroad is one too many.鈥
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