In a historic announcement, Spanish soccer league La Liga said it will hold a match on foreign soil for the first time ever on Dec. 20. The host country for the Barcelona vs. Villarreal contest will be the United States, with the venue being Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
It will also be the first match from any of the Big 5 European soccer leagues—which also include the EPL (England), Bundesliga (Germany), Serie A (Italy) and Ligue 1 (France)—to ever take place on foreign soil.
The match was originally scheduled for Dec. 21, with Villarreal set to host at its home grounds of Estadio de la Ceramica. It will now be played the day before, and Villarreal will still be the designated home team, although the game will take place roughly 4,500 miles away.The relocation has been in the works for quite a while and needed sign-off from several parties. That included La Liga itself; the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body of Spanish soccer; the Union of European Football Associations; and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
