La Liga president Javier Tebas has announced that matches will be held abroad from the second season. The first destination will be the United States of America.
Previously, the idea was suggested and then abandoned due to disagreements between the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga, but with the departure of RFEF president Luis Rubiales, Tebas seems confident in bringing this project to fruition . “ I don’t know when, but this time La Liga will play official matches abroad, I think it could be in the 2025-26 season.
“ The official match in the United States will strengthen our position in the North American market, which is the second largest for LaLiga after Spain. Other very competitive leagues are coming, so we can’t always do the same thing, they would overtake us”Tebas told Marca.
Destination USA
Barcelona and Real Madrid have been keen to export La Liga in the past. Originally, the first match on offer was a clash between Girona and Barcelona in Miami, with the former forgoing a home game in exchange for a financial boost. It’s understandable that La Liga wants to strike before the Premier League does the same, and it’s no surprise that Spanish soccer is following in the footsteps of American sports like basketball and the NFL in an attempt to commercialize and reaping financial benefits. Likewise, foreign supporters will be able to see their team up close.
However, this is another step in the disenfranchisement of local fans, who previously formed a vital part of football clubs. These clubs no longer belong to their local communities in the same way, and taking a match away from locals, arguably at an exorbitant price to see the match if they wish, is a further erosion of their role in the game. It is also quite possible that many people who want to see the teams they support will be denied access to matches for financial reasons.
