LALIGA 'cancel' plans to play Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami

The proposed LALIGA in the USA match between Barcelona and Villarreal has been postponed or cancelled, depending on whose official statement one chooses to go by, the league or the organisers. 

LALIGA, in partnership with American event promoters and media rights company Relevant, organised the match, an actual LALIGA fixture, set in Miami, USA.  

The announcement of the proposed match was met with staunch opposition within and outside Spain. These protests involved the players themselves, as they went on “strike” for the opening 15 seconds of every LALIGA game this weekend, including the one involving Barcelona. 

Today, Relevant, the company promoting the event, released a statement announcing that it has been postponed, citing time constraints. 

“Relevant has informed La Liga of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona in Miami on December 20,” they shared, per the Athletic. 

“Given the current uncertainty in Spain, there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale. It would also be irresponsible to begin selling tickets without a confirmed match in place.”

In LALIGA's statement, the league used the word “cancelled,” suggesting a more permanent end, for this season at least.

“LALIGA announces the cancellation of the Official Match in Miami, a historic opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football. We will continue working towards a global, modern, and competitive competition.”