Barcelona and Villarreal will play the first La Liga match on U.S. soil at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Dec. 20, the league confirmed Wednesday.
For the first time ever, a La Liga game will take place outside of Spain. The plan to host a competitive match in the U.S. has long been in motion. Instead of playing the match at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica, the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium will host this momentous clash.
La Liga released a statement on Wednesday confirming the decision, as both team presidents celebrated the historic moment for Spanish soccer.
“We’re wishing to meet again with all our fans in the United States and we thank La Liga for the opportunity to get close to one of club’s main strategic markets,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta said. “We’ve been visiting the country for many years and we’ve always felt the passion that Barcelona awakes.
“For Villarreal, this is a historic opportunity to continue growing and have visibility in a country as important as the U.S.,” Villarreal president Fernando Roig Alfonso said. “With this initiative we’ll reach fans from other parts of the world and we can keep expanding the club’s and La Liga’s brand. We’re confident that this will be a great experience.”
