Introduction
UEFA’s recent approval for Barcelona to face Villarreal in Miami and AC Milan to play Como in Sydney is worrying news in my eyes and represents one of the largest threats to European football.
What was once unthinkable, a competitive domestic fixture being staged thousands of miles away from their home fans, is suddenly becoming reality.
Just a few years ago, fans united in protest against the proposed European Super League. Yet this latest news is arguably just as dangerous.
From fans to executives at club level, there needs to be a shared understanding of the risks and consequences this can have. This article will also explore the potential incentives behind this movement.
An Ever-Growing Idea
For years, there has been a visible increase in internationalized football matches. The Spanish Supercopa moved to Saudi Arabia, and pre-season tours became global opportunities. Yet competitive domestic fixtures leaving their home stadiums is a new and dangerous step.
Once one or two games move abroad, the floodgates are open.
UEFA insisted that they were “reluctant” to approve the proposals for both the La Liga and Serie A fixtures abroad. It said it was in “clear opposition” to the idea of playing domestic league games outside their native countries, while citing FIFA’s ‘vague’ framework as part of its reasoning.
However, if La Liga or Serie A can sell one fixture to an overseas audience, what’s to stop them from doing it five, ten, or twenty times a season, and making it the norm? On top of that, when participating clubs stand to make extra revenue from these overseas fixtures, what stops other clubs in the same league from demanding an equal opportunity for financial gain?
This cycle could critically harm the sporting integrity of European football.
If UEFA allows it to proceed, it sets out a precedent that will be almost impossible to reverse unless FIFA modifies its ‘vague’ framework.
But Surely This Helps Engage the International Audience?
Leagues may argue that these games benefit global fans, giving them closer access to matches that “mean something.” But it’s hard to argue that the main driving factor isn’t financial.
What about the loyal home fans who turn up every week?
Villarreal has stated they are committed to covering costs for season-ticket holders affected by the relocation of their home match against Barcelona to Miami. This includes free flights and match tickets. However, many loyal season-ticket holders may not be able to attend, due to time constraints or additional costs, such as accommodation. Even though Villarreal is offering a 30% discount on season tickets as compensation and refunding 20% for those unable to attend, it still removes one of the main benefits of being a season-ticket holder: attending the “big” home games.
Football’s power has always been built on the local connection between club and city. Is it worth weakening that connection for financial gain?
A Major Risk to Sporting Integrity
Beyond just fans’ disappointment, there are real questions about fairness. How can a league claim a match is legitimate when a team loses its home advantage for the sake of marketing?
Sending games to Miami or Sydney turns what should be a competitive domestic fixture in historic leagues like La Liga, into a commercial showcase. It’s hard to argue that a win under these circumstances carries the same weight as one earned in front of 60,000 home supporters in Milan or Barcelona.
Then there’s the issue of travel. For Milan and Como, flying to Sydney involves long hours in the air and major time zone shifts. A concern which Frenkie De Jong himself raised shortly after the news was released: “I don’t like the fact that we’re going to play there and I don’t agree with this. It’s not fair for the competition. Now we’re playing an away game on neutral ground. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s right for the players. The clubs are going to get paid for this, but I don’t agree with playing a league game in Miami. I understand that other clubs don’t agree.”
The league would need to adjust schedules significantly to allow teams to recover before their next fixtures.
Playing under such conditions isn’t just inconvenient; it can directly affect performance and the fairness of the competition. Teams facing Milan or Como after their return could gain an unintentional competitive advantage.
Could Another Sport Guide Us?
What could football learn, or fear from the NBA and NFL in their approaches to expanding globally?
While UEFA’s decision feels unprecedented in European football, other sports have already experimented with playing games abroad. The NBA, for example, has built a global presence over the past two decades without compromising competitive fairness.
The NBA schedules a small number of regular season “Global Games” in cities like London, Paris, and Mexico City. Only certain teams are selected each season, and the “home” team designation is maintained. The league ensures that these teams don’t gain or lose an overall advantage: their total number of home games over the season stays balanced, and schedules are adjusted, so no team is unfairly penalized.
Football, by contrast, operates on extremely tight margins. A single home fixture can decide a title, a Champions League spot, or even relegation. Losing home advantages for commercial gain can directly affect the outcome of a season.
NBA features like the draft, salary cap, and schedule equality to protect competitive balance, mechanisms which don’t exist in European football. The NBA shows it’s possible to expand globally without completely disrupting competition. Football, however, lacks these safeguards. In a 38-game season where every point counts, a single fixture abroad cannot simply become an exhibition. Its effect on competitive balance is too significant.
Conclusion
This moment should serve as a wake-up call. What begins as a single fixture abroad could, in time, reshape the sport entirely. Once leagues normalize selling off home games, there’s no turning back. The next generation of fans may grow up watching their clubs play thousands of miles away, disconnected from the stands and streets that once created identity.
