Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid could be first-ever LaLiga match in USA later this year at Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium
Yesterday at 12:57 PM
La Liga look increasingly likely to hold their first-ever domestic fixture overseas in the US.
Barcelona’s clash with Atletico Madrid in December is being lined up as the trail-blazing fixture.
The fixture is currently set to take place at Barcelona‘s temporary Olympic Stadium on the weekend of December 21 and 22, days before Christmas.
However FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish FA are all working to take the fixture overseas, the Daily Mail reports.
It’s understood that Miami is the leading contender to host the fixture with the Hard Rock Stadium the proposed venue.
The 65,000 stadium is the home field for Miami Dolphins and would provide a spectacular setting for the blockbuster game.
It wouldn’t be Barcelona’s first foray into the United Stadium, having played a friendly match in Dallas, Texas last December.
They then faced Real Madrid in a friendly at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last summer in front of 82,500 fans.
La Liga’s president, Javier Tebas, has made no secret of his desire to host a league fixture in the United States.
Last summer he said: “It’s a mark of respect to the US fans [of LaLiga].
“We are seeing NBA and NFL playing in Europe or in Mexico. This would resonate in the American market.”
The Spanish FA have previously had two attempts to take a competitive fixture abroad knocked back.
In 2019, LaLiga tried to move Girona vs Barcelona and Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid away from Spain during Luis Rubiales’ reign as Spanish FA president.
However, there’s now more optimism that arrangements can be made.
FIFA have always opposed the idea, stating that official league games must be played in the territory of the respective member association.
But with Alexander Ceferin aspiring to hold the Champions League final in the US in the future, the Spanish authorities are hopeful that their own plan could come to fruition.
Barcelona are in desperate need to to increase their revenues with the club’s debt estimated to stand at £2.5billion.
Hansi Flick’s side are currently playing at the nearby Olympic Stadium which only holds 45,000 fans while renovations are made to the Camp Nou.
The hope is that Barcelona can return to their home for the start of the 2025/26 season, however the work will only be half-finished with the capacity at an estimated 60,000.
The work is expected to be fully complete by the summer of 2026 when the new stadium will hold 105,000.
