Barcelona will play Villarreal in Miami in December

The La Liga match between Barcelona and Villarreal has officially been moved to Miami – the first time a European league match will be played abroad.

Following UEFA’s reluctant approval earlier this week, the league confirmed the move to the United States on December 20.

“It’s one of 380 matches in the season,” La Liga president Javier Tebas said.

“La Liga represents millions of fans around the world, many of whom follow their teams with passion and deserve the chance to see them live at least once.

“This match aims to bring our football closer to this global fan base without diminishing our commitment to those who enjoy it week after week in stadiums across Spain.”

The game will take place at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.

UEFA stressed its clear opposition to this match being played abroad, but effectively admitted that it was powerless to prevent matches from taking place abroad due to the lack of a legal framework to do so.

Milan are scheduled to face Como in Perth, Australia in February.