In October 2025, UEFA approved “reluctantly” and „exceptionally“ the staging of the La Liga match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona on 21.12.2025 in Miami (can be read here, among other places: https://www.laola1.at/de/red/fussball/international/spanien/la-liga/news/uefa-willigt-ein–barcelona-spielt-ligaspiel-in-den-usa/). In the end, the La Liga match took place in Spain (only due to protests and players) (read more here: https://www.transfermarkt.at/barca-gegen-villarreal-doch-nicht-in-miami-laliga-spiel-in-den-usa-abgesagt/view/news/461951).
The following article is nevertheless intended to show, particularly for the future, on what legal basis this project would be possible at all:
What does UEFA have to do with it?
Readers interested in sports law will immediately ask themselves why the approval of UEFA (as the continental association) was necessary at all. After all, the match was not to take place as part of a European competition, but in a purely national competition, nor was it even taking place on UEFA's regulatory territory, namely Europe.
How does the procedure work?
In this context, it is worth taking a look at the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches (RGIM for short) and the UEFA Statutes due to the (frequently encountered) „multi-level authorisation procedure“.
In Article 1 of the RGIM („Objects“), FIFA basically claims its authority to regulate the organisation of matches/competitions that are played either between teams from different associations or between teams from the same association but in a „third country“.
In Article 11.2. and Appendix B of the RGIM, FIFA subsequently stipulates that for the match that is the subject of this article („Tier 2 International Match“), authorisation must first be obtained from the Spanish association (this will have been the least of the problems here, if you can read between the lines), which in turn must apply to the higher-level continental association - in this case UEFA - for authorisation.
So where is the „problem“?
It is precisely at this authorisation stage that the UEFA Statutes (still!) lack concrete specifications, requirements or even prohibitions for a match between teams from the same association/country that is to take place outside the territory of UEFA. Articles 49 to 51 of its statutes only regulate the authorisation procedure for „international“ matches on another continent (e.g. FC Barcelona against Liverpool FC in Miami). Thus, UEFA was actually „forced“ to authorise the match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona - if it was called upon to do so at all, nolens volens to agree. Otherwise, it would probably have acted arbitrarily and unpredictably - an accusation that a continental association cannot/will not accept.
Postscript #1
Now that approval has been granted by the Spanish FA and UEFA, these authorisations must also be sent to the American FA (on whose soil the match is being played) by the organising teams, which in turn must ask the North American Football Association (CONCACAF) to approve the match.
If you look at the - only rudimentary - complexity of this entire procedure, you can read - also between the lines and with a little imagination - what interests of a financial nature are behind this game, so that this effort is worthwhile for all those involved, not to mention the hardships of travelling.
Postscript #2
UEFA will now carefully consider how to tighten up its statutes and other regulations in order to have a firm and, above all, legally secure „hand over the reins“ in future.
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