Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has openly criticised LaLiga’s decision to stage the upcoming match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, calling it unfair from a competitive standpoint and raising concerns about player welfare and sporting integrity.
The fixture, set for December 20, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium, will mark the first time an official European top-flight league game will take place outside its native country.
“I don’t like that we are going to play there and I don’t agree with this,” De Jong said during a Netherlands national team press conference ahead of their World Cup qualifying match against Malta. He emphasised that the decision was not just about marketing and revenue, but also about fairness in the competition. “It’s not fair for the competition. Now we play a match away at neutral ground. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s right for the players.”
De Jong acknowledged that he understands the commercial reasoning behind the move—clubs will profit from the visibility, the global branding, and the financial gains.
Yet, he stressed that profits should not come at the expense of what he considers fairness in how matches are allocated, where “away” and “home” matches are understood in traditional terms. “The clubs are going to get paid for this, but I don’t agree with playing a league match in Miami. I understand other clubs who oppose it.”
He also raised the issue of travel fatigue and the congested fixture schedule. Long-haul trips, time-zone changes, and the logistical burden of staging a domestic league match across continents are among his concerns. “We always complain about the match schedule and the excess of travel,” De Jong said, warning that the welfare of players risks being overlooked if such overseas fixtures become more frequent.
De Jong’s views are shared by others across LaLiga and European football. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described the decision as regrettable and urged that it should not set a precedent. Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, while acknowledging De Jong’s concerns, has affirmed that the club will comply with LaLiga’s mandate if that is what is required.
Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, now the Netherlands national team coach, also sided with the player, arguing the move doesn’t make any sense and that it represents a distortion of what a home fixture should be.
LaLiga, for its part, has defended the decision as part of a broader strategy to internationalise Spanish football, to expand its fanbase in the United States, and to serve a global audience without abandoning their domestic supporters.
It has pointed out that out of the 380 matches in a typical LaLiga season, only one is being held abroad, and arrangements have been made to compensate Villarreal season-ticket holders—either through discounts or travel support for those who wish to attend in Miami.