In-fighting over Miami match, as De Jong speaks out against Villarreal-Barcelona

 

Barcelona midfielder Frankie de Jong has criticised the decision by LaLiga to host a league meeting between his club and Villarreal in Miami on December 20, 2025.

After years of wrangling, red tape, and relentless resistance from all governing bodies, LaLiga President Javier Tebas got his wish as UEFA reluctantly permitted the Spanish top-flight to stage a match abroad, potentially unlocking a pandoras box.

While the match must be ratified per its final application to U.S. Soccer and Concacaf, FIFA, the world governing body, has remained quiet on the matter.

In Spain, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the Spanish players’ union AFE and several clubs, including Real Madrid, have fought hard to keep domestic football in-country, but their battle appears to have been in vain.

Howeve with the debate rumbling on, De Jong has broken rank and is the first Barça player to voice his concerns about the fixture.

“I don’t like that we’re going to play Barça vs Villarreal in Miami,” De Jong told Dutch publication Voetbalzone ahead of the Netherlands visit to Malta this evening.

“It’s not fair for the competition. I don’t like it, and I don’t think it’s good for the players. We always complain about the match schedule and excessive travel. The clubs are going to profit from this, but I don’t agree with playing a league game in Miami. I understand that other clubs don’t agree.”

His comments were aligned with former Barcelona coach and current Dutch boss Ronald Koeman, who added: “It makes no sense. It’s ridiculous. Frenkie gives a good explanation. It’s not fair. Villarreal-FC Barcelona is always a difficult away game for Barça, and now they’re playing it on neutral ground.”

The threat of a major European league playing a competitive fixture outside of its borders has been around for years, however, hurdles have always tripped up the concept.

That was until Relevent, a global sports and media rights agency, took FIFA and US Soccer to court claiming that the two bodies conspired to prevent official league matches from foreign leagues taking place in the US. Both FIFA and US Soccer settled out of court paving the way for matches on foreign soil.