La Liga’s Miami Meltdown: A Week Of Chaos, Clashes, And Cancelled Plans | EXPLAINED

Last Updated:October 23, 2025, 16:30 IST

La Liga’s plan to host a match in Miami collapsed after backlash from clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and AFE protests, leaving President Javier Tebas vowing to try again.

La Liga president Javier Tebas speaks to the media (AFP)

It’s been a full-blown game of “Love me, love me not" in La Liga this past week — from hyped-up plans to host a match in the U.S., to fierce backlash, to finally pulling the plug.

So, let’s just take a step back, relax and take a look at how the drama unfolded.

Why Did La Liga Want to Go Abroad?

In one word: money.

La Liga has been chasing the American dream since 2018, when it first tried to stage Girona vs. Barcelona in Miami. This year, the league came closer than ever, winning approval from UEFA and Spain’s football federation (RFEF).

But with less than six weeks to go, everything collapsed. Relevent Sports, La Liga’s U.S. promoter, called off the event, blaming “uncertainty generated in Spain" and “a lack of time."

President Javier Tebas called it a “historic opportunity lost," still convinced that taking matches abroad would help La Liga mirror the global reach of the NFL and NBA.

Who Killed the Dream?

Pretty much everyone.

Players across Spain protested by standing still for the first 15 seconds of their matches: a powerful move led by the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE), who slammed the lack of consultation and transparency.

Real Madrid, as one would expect, were the loudest critics. The club accused the plan of “adulterating the competition," and stars like Dani Carvajal, Xabi Alonso, and Thibaut Courtois publicly blasted the idea and even La Liga’s attempt to hide the protests on TV.

But to make things worse, Barcelona’s own coach Hansi Flick and midfielder Frenkie de Jong opposed the Miami move, leaving La Liga isolated.

What Now?

The league is back to square one.

Tebas insists, “We will keep trying," but the fallout has been ugly. Villarreal fumed over how the cancellation was announced mid-Champions League action, calling it a “lack of respect."

Now, La Liga faces a fractured image, irritated clubs, unhappy players, and looming legal tension with the AFE over the protests.

But one thing’s for sure: La Liga’s U.S. dream? For now, it’s benched.

(with AFP inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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