Spanish La Liga has officially cancelled its plan to hold the Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami, USA, ending the league’s long-standing bid to stage a competitive fixture outside Europe.

The highly anticipated match, originally scheduled for December 20 at the Hard Rock Stadium, was intended to be the first-ever European league game played on foreign soil. However, growing opposition from clubs, players, and football officials has forced organizers to pull the plug.

In a statement released on Tuesday, La Liga confirmed that the event promoter had withdrawn from the project, citing “uncertainty surrounding Spain in recent weeks.”

“Following discussions with the promoter of the official LaLiga match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the event due to the uncertainty surrounding Spain in recent weeks,” the statement read.

“LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalization of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.”

The decision effectively ends—for now—La Liga’s ambition to take competitive matches beyond Europe, a plan that has faced consistent pushback from the players’ union, the Spanish FA, and FIFA.

According to Gossip News Now, league president Javier Tebas has long championed efforts to globalize Spanish football and expand its commercial reach, but regulatory and logistical challenges have repeatedly stalled progress.

With the Miami plan cancelled, the Barcelona vs Villarreal fixture will now be played in Spain as originally scheduled, maintaining the traditional home-and-away format of the domestic league season.