LaLiga president Javier Tebas has described the decision to cancel the overseas match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami as a lost opportunity.

Manchester City's 2-0 away win over Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday proved to be bittersweet as striker Haaland scored his 24th goal in 14 games for club and country this season, but also had Nico González limp off with an injury.

LaLiga, Spain's top-flight soccer league, on Tuesday announced it has scrapped plans to hold a regular season Barcelona-Villarreal game in Miami on Dec. 20.

Enjoy some live updates of UEFA Champions League matches such as Arsenal vs. Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Paris Saint-Germain and Villarreal vs. Manchester City.

The Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) remains in opposition to the LaLiga game between Villarreal and Barcelona being played in Miami in December.

Como insist relocating Milan game ‘not a matter of greed’ Italian side highlight gulf in revenues to Premier League The Italian club Como have released a statement on their potential Serie A match against Milan in Australia, claiming that taking games abroad is about “ensuring survival” for the league. Uefa has reluctantly given approval for the match – a home league fixture for Milan –to take place in Perth next February. In addition, Villarreal’s La Liga match against Barcelona in December is set to take place in Miami, Florida. Continue reading...

LaLiga president Javier Tebas said that the league intends to proceed with its plan for the Barcelona league fixture against Villarreal to be played on Dec. 20 in Miami after UEFA cleared the way for the match to be moved to the United States.

The change may seem small, but the profit-seeking games are clearly the first step in a mass reorientation of the club game Looking back someday, it may be hard to identify the exact moment when soccer altogether lost the silhouette that had loosely contained its shape for a century. When its governing bodies let go at last, handing the reins to the horses. When the last line holding against the sport’s self-immolating avarice collapsed and all were free to just do whatever they want. When crotchety pundits were finally right and the game was fully gone. Or maybe we’ll know precisely when it was: 6 October 2025, when the Uefa executive committee declared in an extraordinary release that it was opposed to domestic league matches being played abroad – while allowing two of them “on an exceptional basis.” Barcelona and Villarreal will stage an ostensibly domestic La Liga game in Miami in December. Milan and Como are to play a Serie A match in Perth, Australia – a mere 20-hour flight from Italy – in February. Leander Schaerlaeckens’ book on the United States men’s national soccer team, The Long Game, is out in the spring of 2026. You can preorder it here. He teaches at Marist University. Continue reading...

Governing body says go-ahead shouldn’t set precedent Barcelona and Milan poised to play in US and Australia Uefa has given its “reluctant” approval to Serie A and La Liga each playing a domestic game abroad this season. The decision clears the way for Barcelona and Villarreal to meet in Miami in December and for Milan and Como to play in Perth, Australia, in February. Uefa said in a statement that it had “reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country” but that because “the relevant Fifa regulatory framework – currently under review – is not clear and detailed enough, the Uefa Executive Committee has reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis, the two requests referred to it”. The move comes after the Italian and Spanish football federations applied for those matches to be played abroad. Uefa said its national associations had agreed to engage with it before submitting any future requests. Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa’s president, said: “League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns. I would like to thank the 55 national associations for their constructive and responsible engagement on such a sensitive issue. “While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. Our commitment is clear: to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.” Continue reading...

Kylian Mbappé will be assessed after suffering a mild ankle sprain in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday, coach Xabi Alonso confirmed.

Vinícius Júnior scored twice as Real Madrid moved back to the top of LaLiga with a 3-1 win over Villarreal, but Kylian Mbappé was forced off after scoring Madrid's third.

Villarreal's Thomas Partey was booed by Tottenham fans on his return to London for a Champions League game the night before he was due in court on rape charges.

Villarreal boss Marcelino insisted Thomas Partey will be ready to face Tottenham Hotspur, despite the former Arsenal midfielder being due in court this week on rape and sexual assault charges.

Prime Vision will feature xG and player statistics Service will launch for Tottenham’s game with Villarreal Amazon Prime Video will give Champions League viewers a new kind of match coverage this season, dripping in data and taking its inspiration from video games. Prime Vision will offer a version of broadcast coverage in which datapoints will be overlaid on to live play, enabling fans to see a player’s name, their running speed, the distance of a pass and even the passing options as part of the extra information. The service will be unveiled in the UK on Tuesday night for the Tottenham v Villarreal league-phase game and will run alongside traditional coverage. Continue reading...