NEW YORK: La Liga plans to make an international soccer match an annual event after announcing Barcelona and Villarreal will play outside Miami on Dec. 20, Spanish league president Javier Tebas said during an interview with The Associated Press.
Becoming the first major European league to move a competitive match abroad, La Liga is following the model of the NFL, which has played in London since 2007, and this season also has games in Berlin, Dublin, Madrid and Sao Paulo.
“The idea is to follow a similar model but with one difference: We will only play one match abroad,” Tebas said of future schedules. “So I strongly believe that what they are doing is something very positive for the competition. They are letting people all over the world to know the competition, to engage with the competition.”
The soccer match will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. La Liga intends to announce future international games with longer lead times. It usually releases its schedule around the start of July.
“It’s a strategy that will help to increase revenues in the mid- to long-term, because we will increase the value of our partners, our sponsors. We will increase the value of audiovisual rights with our broadcasters,” he said.
“Hopefully we will increase the interest, the engagement of the audience in other countries as we are expecting to bring this one game every year to different countries around the world.”
Italy’s Serie A is planning to move a Feb. 8 match between Milan and Como from San Siro to Perth, Australia, because the Italian stadium won’t be available after hosting the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics two days earlier.
Tebas said the experience of playing in an NFL stadium with many food and beverage options and gathering areas could spark improvements in Spain. Real Madrid renovated Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and Osasuna revamped El Sadar.
Construction is ongoing at Barcelona’s Camp Nou, Betis’ Estadio Benito Villamarín and Getafe’s Estadio Coliseum, and Valencia has long-delayed plans for a Nou Mestalla.
“The objective is to increase the match day experience more than the two hours,” Tebas said. “The clubs are already working toward that objective.”
CONCACAF, soccer’s governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said Thursday it must approve the match and “will conduct a thorough review of the application, including consulting key regional and global stakeholders.”
Tebas said CONCACAF cannot block the game because of last year’s settlement that dropped FIFA from a lawsuit by the promoter Relevent, which like Hard Rock Stadium and the Dolphins is owned by Stephen Ross.
“There is already a positive resolution in court that Relevent achieved against FIFA and that goes as well to CONCACAF in the US, so they can’t really go against that court resolution,” he said.
Tebas said Barcelona and Villarreal would play any Copa del Rey round of 32 matches on Dec. 16, then fly immediately after their games and arrive in Florida early on Wednesday ahead of the Saturday game.
Tebas said La Liga has chartered planes to bring to Florida what it estimates will be 2,000 to 3,000 fans from Villarreal, which is the home team. Relevent said a presale of tickets will start Oct. 21 and general sale the next day.
Spain’s La Liga plans to make its international match an annual event
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Spain’s La Liga plans to make its international match an annual event
- “The idea is to follow a similar model but with one difference: We will only play one match abroad,” Tebas said
- “It’s a strategy that will help to increase revenues in the mid- to long-term, because we will increase the value of our partners, our sponsors
World No. 1 duo Coello, Tapia headline historic padel exhibition in Abu Dhabi
- Stars play against each other in UAE’s capital
ABU DHABI: The world’s top-ranked padel players delivered a memorable showcase in the UAE’s capital on Wednesday as “The Ultimate Padel Match” lit up Space42 Arena at Al-Raha Beach.
Arturo Coello — the youngest player in history to reach the FIP (International Padel Federation) world No. 1 ranking — and Agustin Tapia, the joint world No. 1 renowned for his creative and attacking style, headlined a rare one-night exhibition that split the sport’s most dominant partnership.
Played outside the official professional tour calendar, the event saw Coello join forces with Spain’s Jorge “Coki” Nieto, the current FIP world No. 7 and winner of the 2024 Premier Padel Finals, while Tapia paired with Argentine World Champion Federico Chingotto, the FIP world No. 3 recognized for his exceptional defensive court coverage.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd, Tapia and Chingotto claimed a 7–6, 2–6, 6–3 victory in a high-quality contest that marked a first-of-its-kind showcase for fans in Abu Dhabi.
For Coello, the return to the capital of the UAE was as meaningful off the court as it was on it.
He said: “It’s our second time here, and it’s a real pleasure to play here and be in this city. Padel is growing a lot in Abu Dhabi, and today you could really feel how much people enjoyed the match. It’s an amazing event, and I hope people continue to enjoy and discover this sport.”
The Spaniard also underlined the importance of exhibition matches in accelerating the sport’s development in emerging markets.
“Padel is still quite new here, but when people can see the level we play at, it helps them connect with the game,” he said. “It’s a great moment for fans to start practicing and enjoying padel.”
Tapia echoed those sentiments, pointing to the role of such events in strengthening the local padel community.
He said: “I’m really happy to be back in Abu Dhabi. Padel is growing a lot in the city and across the country, and exhibition matches like this help bring the community together and contribute to that growth.”
Looking ahead, the Argentine player expressed hope of returning to compete again in the capital.
He said he “would love to come back,” before adding that “hopefully Abu Dhabi can host more tournaments in the future, so we can keep playing here.”
Beyond the court, both players embraced the cultural side of their visit. Coello described trips to the Zayed National Museum and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as highlights of his stay, calling them “an incredible experience.”
The unique format — pitting the world’s leading duo against each other rather than alongside one another — resonated strongly with spectators.
Danny Al-Abadi, 18, who traveled from Dubai to attend the event, said: “You don’t get many chances to see this level of padel up close. Seeing the best in the world compete against each other instead of together made it even more special, and matches like this really help people understand the sport better.”
“The Ultimate Padel Match” further reinforced Abu Dhabi’s growing status as a destination for world-class sporting events, while offering fans a rare opportunity to witness elite padel outside the structure of the professional tour.
