Football fans, clubs and politicians are up in arms over plans to switch league games in Europe to cities in the United States and Australia this season. Spain’s and Italy’s leagues see rewards in playing abroad – raising interest in their competitions and lessening the widening financial gap with the English Premier League, which earns billions from overseas TV deals.
English clubs spent €3.5 billion on transfers during the summer window, more than the top four European leagues combined. Italy’s Serie A plans to play the February league match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, West Australia, while Spain’s La Liga hopes that champions Barcelona can play Villareal in Miami in December.
A dozen top European clubs failed in their efforts to set up a Super League in 2021.
Following the proposal to move matches overseas, more than 400 fan groups issued a joint statement where they described the idea as a “direct attack on the essence of football” and an “existential threat” with “unpredictable and irreversible consequences”. The world’s richest club and staunch Super League advocate, Real Madrid, oppose the idea.
Block
Real Madrid asked Fifa, Uefa and Spain’s National Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes – CSD) to block the move, claiming that it would set an “unacceptable precedent” and undermine sporting integrity. “It would be a turning point in the world of football,” the spokesperson added. England’s Premier League has no plans to move games abroad.
The idea of European football leagues taking games overseas was encouraged by sporting bodies in the US. In a bid to boost its global audience, the National Football League (NFL) is hosting games in London, Dublin, Madrid and Berlin. The Chargers opened the 2025 NFL season in Brazil, at the Arena Corinthians’ stadium in Sao Paulo, earlier this month.
Pictured top: Barcelona and Brazil striker Raphinha. Barca won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in 2025, one of the greatest years in the club’s proud history
