On Tuesday night, the shock news emerged that the game planned to be hosted in Miami, a clash between Villarreal and Barcelona, had been cancelled. As originally in the calendar, the match will now take place at La Ceramica, much to the chagrin of La Liga.

The decision was taken by the promoter of the game, Relevent, who explained that ‘uncertainty in Spain’ was the reasoning for their call. Tickets were due to be put on sale yesterday, and there is a suggestion that the fact Concacaf and the US Soccer Federation had not given them permission for the game to go ahead in their territory, as reported by Cadena SER.

La Liga President Javier Tebas laments ‘missed opportunity’

In the statement released by La Liga, they communicated a ‘deep regret’ over the decision, and Tebas titled his response on Twitter/X a ‘missed opportunity.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR SPANISH FOOTBALL.

Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to move forward, project itself to the world, and strengthen its future. The defence of “tradition” is invoked from a narrow and provincial perspective, while the true traditions of European football are threatened by decisions from the institutions that govern it, which year after year destroy national leagues, the true engine of the football industry in Europe, amid the naivety and passivity of European leaders who fail to distinguish the inconsequential from the essential.

The “integrity of the competition” is appealed to by those who have spent years questioning that very integrity, pressuring referees, leaders, constructing distorted narratives, or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool. And others, perhaps unknowingly and in good faith, have been drawn into debates about information that was already addressed in 2018, where that supposed “information”—which they had then and have now—was merely an excuse to kill the project.

UNA OPORTUNIDAD PERDIDA PARA EL FUTBOL ESPAÑOL.
Hoy el fútbol español ha perdido una oportunidad para avanzar, proyectarse al mundo y fortalecer su futuro.
Se invoca la defensa de la “tradición” desde una visión cerrada y provinciana, mientras las verdaderas tradiciones del…

— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) October 22, 2025

I want to thank Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona for their commitment and generosity in being part of a project that only sought the growth of our competition. They weren’t thinking of themselves; they were thinking of everyone. LaLiga will continue working, with rigour and conviction, to ensure that Spanish football remains competitive, standing up to those who seek to destroy it, but always with respect for its roots and ensuring its sustainability.

Spanish football deserves to look to the future with ambition, not with fear. We will keep trying. This time, we were very close.

Barcelona release statement ‘respecting and accepting’ decision

Barcelona were far more sanguine about the decision, but did express regret at a missed opportunity for growth in a club statement. President Joan Laporta had noted that the club would recover the matchday income they missed out on from hosting two games at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in Miami, but that now looks to be a hole in their financial plans.

Marcus Rashford can't wait for El Clásico. Fresh off a brace against Olympiacos, the English forward arrives at the Bernabéu in top form and full of confidence. "I came to Barça for games like this", he said after what he called his best performance yet. @sport

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 22, 2025

FC Barcelona respects and accept the decision to cancel the game against Villarreal in Miami corresponding to week 17 of La Liga, in the same way that the club accepted and respected the decision taken in the past to play the game in the US. FC Barcelona regret the missed opportunity to expand the competition’s image in a strategic market with a great capacity for growth and generation of resources for everyone.

The Club is grateful for the unconditional support and affection of our fans in the USA and regrets deeply that they are denied the opportunity to see an official game in their country. 

Villarreal manager Marcelino criticises ‘lack of respect’

Meanwhile there was a somewhat comic scene as Villarreal President Fernando Roig Negueroles was captured live on camera finding out and reacting to the news at half-time in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City. After the match, manager Marcelino Garcia Toral was very unhappy about what he felt was poor form.

“I’m just going to answer one question about that. I think it’s absolutely disrespectful to make a statement, during halftime, about something that was planned and then not do so. It’s disrespectful to the management, the club, and the fans. The club will make an official statement tomorrow. I found out about it at the end of the match,” he told Diario AS.

Real Madrid and AFE content with decision

Earlier that day, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had strongly criticised the idea, and Los Blancos have been the only institution to express a formal challenge to the concept. Cadena Cope report that they are content with the decision. The other opposition came from the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE), who organised protests amongst the players due to their unhappiness over a lack of transparency in putting together the event.

AFE released a statement on the matter too on Wednesday, expressing further criticism of Tebas’ handling of the event, and the measures taken by the players.

AFE highlights the unity and solidarity shown by the footballers in defence of their labour rights

The Spanish Football Players’ Association (AFE) believes that LALIGA’s official announcement regarding the cancellation of a match of the Spanish National First Division League Championship in the United States confirms the employers’ association’s ongoing contradictions regarding a project proposed, promoted, and managed by LALIGA that would modify the competition model and, as a result, directly affect the working conditions of footballers.

📄 COMUNICADO | AFE reivindica la unidad y firmeza mostrada por los futbolistas en defensa de sus derechos laborales

Más información ⬇️

— AFE (@afefutbol) October 22, 2025

Faced with the lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence from the institution presided over by Javier Tebas, the footballers spoke out unanimously on the pitch last week to send a powerful message: without footballers, there is no football. The union wishes to highlight the unity of the players over recent months and the strength they have demonstrated in defending their labour rights in the face of the vigorous and constant pressure they have faced in recent days regarding the exercise of their freedom of expression.

LALIGA must respect and address the demands and requirements of footballers as key players in our sport and as key decision-makers in addressing future challenges that fundamentally affect their working conditions.