Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has become the first player from the Catalan club to publicly criticize La Liga’s controversial decision to stage the Villarreal-Barcelona match in Miami, calling it “unfair” and expressing strong opposition to playing a competitive league fixture thousands of kilometers away from Spain. The Dutch international’s candid remarks, made during a Netherlands national team press conference on October 8, 2025, have ignited a fierce debate about the commercialization of European football and the price players are being asked to pay for global expansion.
“I Don’t Like That We’re Going to Play There”
Speaking ahead of the Netherlands’ World Cup 2026 qualifier against Malta, Frenkie de Jong didn’t mince words when asked about La Liga’s decision to move the December 20 fixture to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. “I don’t like that we’re going to play there, and I don’t agree with it,” the 27-year-old midfielder stated firmly. “It’s not fair for the competition. I don’t like it, and I don’t think it’s right for the players.”
His criticism strikes at the heart of a contentious issue that has divided Spanish football. While La Liga president Javier Tebas has championed the move as an opportunity to expand the league’s global fan base, Frenkie de Jong’s comments reflect widespread concern among players about the sporting integrity and logistical challenges of playing domestic league matches abroad.
| Match Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Villarreal vs Barcelona |
| Original Venue | Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal |
| New Venue | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Date | December 20, 2025 |
| Competition | La Liga (Matchday 17) |
| Significance | First official European league match played outside Europe |
The Barcelona star acknowledged the commercial motivations behind the decision, noting that “the clubs are going to profit from this” and that expanding their brand globally is “probably the idea behind it.” However, he made clear that understanding the financial reasoning doesn’t mean he supports it. “I understand that perspective, but I wouldn’t accept it, and I don’t share it,” Frenkie de Jong emphasized.
The Sporting Injustice: Playing an Away Match on Neutral Ground
One of Frenkie de Jong’s most compelling arguments against the Miami match concerns competitive fairness. The fixture is officially a Villarreal home game, which should theoretically give the home side the advantage of playing at their Estadio de la Cerámica in front of their passionate supporters. Instead, by moving the Villarreal-Barcelona match to Miami, that advantage evaporates entirely.
“It’s also unfair, competitively speaking. We will now be playing an away match on a neutral venue,” Frenkie de Jong explained. “But I feel like no one is listening to us.”
This complaint highlights a fundamental problem with staging domestic league matches abroad: it distorts the competition by removing the traditional home-field advantage that is integral to the sporting merit of league football. Villarreal, as the home team, should benefit from familiar surroundings, local support, and the comfort of not traveling. Instead, both teams will face long-haul flights and play in a neutral venue—though one likely to be filled predominantly with Barcelona supporters given the club’s massive global following.
The situation becomes even more problematic when considering that Miami has a large Spanish-speaking population and Barcelona enjoys significantly more international brand recognition than Villarreal. This demographic reality means the match could effectively become a Barcelona “home” game rather than the neutral fixture it’s supposed to be, further disadvantaging Villarreal.
Koeman Backs De Jong: “It’s Ridiculous”
Frenkie de Jong wasn’t alone in his criticism. His comments received immediate support from Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman, who formerly managed Barcelona and understands both the club’s dynamics and the challenges of La Liga football.
“It makes no sense. It’s ridiculous. Frenkie gives a good explanation. It’s not fair,” Koeman stated emphatically during the same press conference. “Villarreal versus Barcelona is always a difficult away game for Barça, and now they’re playing it on neutral ground. There will be more Barcelona fans in the stands than Villarreal supporters. That’s not fair either.”
Koeman’s perspective carries particular weight given his intimate knowledge of Barcelona and his experience navigating the pressures and politics of Spanish football. His characterization of the decision as “ridiculous” and his emphasis on the competitive unfairness echoes concerns voiced by multiple stakeholders across European football.
The Players’ Burden: Travel and Schedule Congestion
Beyond the competitive fairness issues, Frenkie de Jong highlighted another critical concern: the physical and mental toll on players who are already dealing with an overcrowded fixture calendar. “We always complain about the match schedule and excessive travel,” he noted, pointing to an ongoing issue in modern football where player welfare is increasingly sacrificed for commercial interests.
The logistics of the Miami trip are daunting. Both Barcelona and Villarreal will need to:
- Travel approximately 7,500 kilometers (4,660 miles) from Spain to Miami
- Adjust to a time zone difference of six hours
- Potentially face disrupted training schedules
- Return to Spain for their next domestic fixtures
This comes at a crucial point in the season, with both teams competing in multiple competitions including La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and European tournaments. The added travel burden could impact player fitness, recovery times, and performance in subsequent matches—all for the sake of a commercial venture.
La Liga’s Long-Sought Goal Achieved
The Villarreal-Barcelona match in Miami represents the culmination of years of effort by La Liga president Javier Tebas, who has been trying to stage a league match in the United States since 2017. After numerous rejections and regulatory hurdles, the breakthrough finally came in 2025.
The path to approval was complex and contentious:
- August 2025: The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) finally granted approval after years of blocking similar requests
- October 2025: UEFA reluctantly approved the match, stating it was in “clear opposition” to playing domestic games abroad but citing FIFA’s vague regulatory framework
- October 9, 2025: La Liga officially confirmed the December 20 date at Hard Rock Stadium
Notably, UEFA’s approval came with a disclaimer emphasizing its fundamental opposition to the concept. The European governing body approved the request “exceptionally” while maintaining its stance against normalizing such arrangements. This reluctance underscores the controversial nature of the decision even among football’s governing bodies.
The Opposition: Who Else Is Against It?
Frenkie de Jong is far from alone in opposing the Miami match. Resistance to playing La Liga games abroad has come from multiple quarters:
Spanish Players’ Union (AFE): Has consistently fought against domestic matches being played overseas, arguing it prioritizes commercial interests over player welfare and sporting integrity.
Real Madrid: The Spanish giants have been vocal opponents of the plan, refusing to participate in any such matches themselves. Their stance represents a significant rebuke to La Liga’s internationalization strategy.
Spanish Football Federation (RFEF): Despite eventually granting approval, the RFEF resisted for years, particularly given the hypocrisy of approving foreign-soil matches after previously blocking La Liga’s attempts (though the federation itself stages the Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia).
Other La Liga clubs: Multiple clubs have expressed concern that the precedent could force them into similar arrangements despite not having Barcelona’s or Real Madrid’s global appeal, making such trips financially questionable for smaller clubs.
Tebas Defends the Decision
La Liga president Javier Tebas has robustly defended the Miami match, framing it as a strategic initiative to grow the league’s global presence and increase revenue that ultimately benefits all member clubs. “This match is an exception among the 380 games played during the season,” Tebas argued, suggesting that one game abroad shouldn’t be seen as a significant burden.
Tebas has long contended that La Liga lags behind the English Premier League in international commercial appeal and that playing matches abroad is essential for closing that gap. He points to the success of American sports leagues like the NFL and NBA, which regularly stage games in London, Mexico City, and other international markets.
From Tebas’s perspective, the financial windfall from the Miami match—including ticket sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, and enhanced brand visibility—justifies the inconvenience. He maintains that the long-term benefits of expanding La Liga’s global footprint outweigh the short-term disruption to one fixture.
A Pandora’s Box: What This Means for Football’s Future
The approval of the Villarreal-Barcelona match in Miami, along with AC Milan vs Como in Perth, Australia, has opened what critics describe as a “Pandora’s box” for European football. If domestic league matches can be played abroad “exceptionally,” where does it end?
Several worrying precedents are now established:
- Domestic league matches can be moved thousands of kilometers from their traditional venues
- Commercial considerations can override sporting integrity concerns
- UEFA’s stated opposition can be bypassed through regulatory loopholes
- The concept of “home” and “away” in league competitions can be fundamentally altered
For Frenkie de Jong and other players, these developments represent a troubling trajectory where football’s governing bodies and league administrators prioritize profit over the sport’s essential character and the well-being of those who actually play the game.
The Broader Context: Player Power vs. Commercial Interests
Frenkie de Jong’s outspoken criticism represents a rare instance of player power being exercised against football’s commercial machinery. In an era where clubs, leagues, and governing bodies make unilateral decisions about fixtures, formats, and competitions—often without meaningful consultation with players—his willingness to speak publicly is significant.
The Netherlands international’s statement that “no one is listening to us” encapsulates player frustration with their lack of agency in decisions that directly affect their careers, health, and performance. Despite being the most essential component of the football product that generates billions in revenue, players often find themselves with little voice in how the sport is run.
This tension between player welfare and commercial interests has manifested in various ways:
- The ongoing debate about fixture congestion
- Discussions about expanding the Champions League format
- Concerns about international tournaments like the Club World Cup
- Criticism of pre-season tours in distant countries
The Miami match controversy fits squarely within this broader struggle over who controls football’s future direction.
What Happens Next?
While UEFA and the RFEF have approved the match, and La Liga has officially announced it, the final application still requires ratification from U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF. Additionally, FIFA—the world governing body—has not yet issued its final say on the matter, though La Liga officials expect no pushback.
Assuming all regulatory approvals are completed, the Villarreal-Barcelona match will proceed as planned on December 20, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Frenkie de Jong, despite his vocal opposition, will almost certainly be on the pitch for Barcelona, traveling to a venue he believes the match should never be played at.
The real question is whether this becomes a one-off spectacle or the beginning of a new era where European league matches are routinely played on foreign soil. If successful commercially—and there’s little doubt it will be, given the massive interest such a novelty fixture will generate—pressure will mount for more matches to follow suit.
For players like Frenkie de Jong who care about sporting integrity, competitive fairness, and player welfare, that’s a troubling prospect. His willingness to speak out, backed by figures like Ronald Koeman, sends a clear message: just because something is profitable doesn’t mean it’s right for football.
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FAQs
Why is Frenkie de Jong opposed to the Miami match?
Frenkie de Jong believes playing the Villarreal-Barcelona fixture in Miami is unfair because it turns what should be a Villarreal home match into a neutral venue game, distorting competitive fairness while adding unnecessary travel for players.
When will Villarreal-Barcelona play in Miami?
The Villarreal-Barcelona La Liga match will be played on December 20, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, marking the first time a European league match has been staged outside of Europe.
What did Ronald Koeman say about the Miami match?
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman called the decision “ridiculous” and unfair, noting that Barcelona will benefit from having more fans in the stands despite technically playing an away match on neutral ground.
Has UEFA approved the Miami match?
Yes, UEFA reluctantly approved the match in October 2025, though they stated they are in “clear opposition” to playing domestic league games abroad and only approved it “exceptionally” due to vague FIFA regulations.
Will there be more La Liga matches played abroad?
La Liga president Javier Tebas has framed this as an exception, but critics fear it opens the door for more matches abroad. The success of the Miami match will likely determine future decisions.
