LaLiga still exploring plans to stage Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in United States

LaLiga are still considering plans to host the league match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the United States just before Christmas. The Spanish top-flight first expressed a desire to take the match to Miami back in August, and it's understood that the league remains eager to proceed.

The game is set for matchday 18, with all matches currently scheduled for December 22 ahead of television picks, but will require FIFA approval. FIFA announced in May that it would establish a working group to examine a revised legal framework for taking domestic league matches overseas, but has not provided any public updates since.

Following a settlement with Relevent Sports in a US court case in April, football’s world governing body said it was contemplating changing its authorisation rules on such matches. Relevent has been trying to host competitive league games in the US, including LaLiga matches.

After the settlement, LaLiga president Javier Tebas expressed hope to bring matches to the US for the 2025-26 season, but the league is believed to still be working on making the Barcelona-Atletico match happen this season. Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, has stated that there are no plans to take English top-flight matches overseas.