UEFA has approved historic overseas matches for Barcelona and AC Milan despite fan backlash and potentially setting a new precedent for European football.
When AC Milan hosts Como not in Lombardy but in Perth, Australia — and Barcelona prepares for a “home” match in Miami — it feels less like scheduling convenience and more like a turning point: European football is testing how far “home advantage” can stretch before it snaps.
Why Is This Happening?
In a report from UEFA in early October, it was stated that “League matches should be played on home soil”, and it was also added that “this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent.”
Even so, these fixtures will be making history as the first regular-season games to be played on foreign soil, and have raised many questions as to what the future of football will be if teams can be uprooted for regular-season games.
A move that has sparked intense debate about the future of domestic football and the meaning of “home” regarding the future of domestic football and the significance of keeping football in the communities.
Leading the charge is La Liga president Javier Tebas, who, for a number of years, has championed the idea of moving league matches beyond the borders of Spain. It follows a similar international strategy employed by the NFL, where, since 2007, the franchise has played games in London and now across the globe.
“The idea is to follow a similar model but with one difference: We will only play one match abroad.” Tebas explained in a recent interview, “I strongly believe that what they are doing is something very positive for the competition. They are letting people all over the world to know the competition, to engage with the competition.”
Serie A chief Luigi De Siervo has echoed a similar ambition of pushing domestic football internationally. Citing that the San Siro is unavailable due to the renovations ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics gives reasoning for the game to be played abroad.
Football’s globalisation is no longer hypothetical – it’s happening in real time. Many speculate that this is a justification from De Siervo and Tebas for taking the game overseas and is now the beginning of the Americanisation of football, with wider commercial ambitions.
Fan Reaction Moving Forward
Fans have pushed back against this movement, with one X user calling it “Spineless Nonsense.” In response to the move, likewise, the Spanish players’ union, AFE, also expressed direct opposition to such movements.
“Tuesday was supposed to be the meeting with Tebas and the clubs”, Aganzo said “We wanted some transparency and respect towards the players.
“More than just taking a game to another country, we wanted to know if the collective bargaining agreement was being fulfilled, the details surrounding the journey, and the working conditions. We want information from LaLiga”
Meanwhile, AC Milan players have also slammed the UEFA decision to play the matches abroad, with goalkeeper Mike Maingan joining fellow teammate Adrien Rabiot, who deemed the games “completely mad.”
Writers View
This is not the first time UEFA has received backlash this year and once again finds itself in hot water. As football moves forward, the conversation of commercialisation of the game could not be more true. With the Super League, Club World Cup, and now domestic games being played abroad, it is no wonder that fans are worried for the future of their clubs. Moves like this risk taking the soul out of the beautiful game, replacing community and tradition with profit and branding. It calls into question the governing bodies that appear more focused on money than meaning.
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