LaLiga Greenlights Historic Barcelona-Villarreal Match in Miami, Pending Final Approval

LaLiga has confirmed its plan for Barcelona's 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 earlier this week.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas told ESPN's Fernando Palomo at the World Soccer Summit on Wednesday in Miami that the plans are "practically finalized" for Villarreal and Barcelona to face each other at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Spanish league must now submit an application to U.S. Soccer and Concacaf for final approval on playing the game in the U.S. FIFA will play no role in the decision, a source told ESPN.

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If finally approved by all parties involved, Barça's match against Villarreal will become the first fixture from one of Europe's big five leagues to be played on foreign soil, copying a model which has been implemented by the NFL and the NBA in recent years.

"This match is a historic step that takes LALIGA and Spanish football to an all-new level," Tebas added in a statement. "We understand and respect the concerns this decision may raise, but it is important to put it in context: this is one game out of the 380 that make up the season. LALIGA represents millions of fans around the world, including many who follow their teams passionately and deserve the chance to experience seeing them live at least once.

"This match is about bringing our football closer to that global fanbase without diminishing our commitment to those who enjoy it week in, week out in stadiums across Spain."

Wednesday's statement from Tebas comes after UEFA said earlier this week it had reluctantly agreed for two European league games to be played abroad, the other being the request from Italian sides AC Milan and Como to play in Perth, Australia, in February.

Villarreal were due to host Spanish champions Barça at the Estadio de la Cerámica on the weekend commencing Dec. 20. LaLiga said "compensation measures have also been put in place for the home club's season-ticket holders."

"We know that playing this game away from home will impact on our season-ticket holders, which is why we are implementing meaningful, concrete measures to compensate them," Villarreal president Fernando Roig said. "We are confident it will be a great experience."

Added Barcelona president Joan Laporta: "We are looking forward to reconnecting with all our fans in the United States and are grateful to LALIGA for the opportunity to get closer to one of the Club's key strategic markets. We have been visiting the country for many years and have always felt the passion that FC Barcelona inspires.

"As a global club with millions of supporters around the world, this opportunity strengthens our commitment to our international fan base -- especially in a key market like the U.S. An official match in a city like Miami, with such a strong Barça community, will undoubtedly be a great spectacle featuring two teams competing at the highest level."

LaLiga have been trying to relocate a game to the U.S since 2017, but have encountered significant opposition in that time, notably from the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF].

However, the RFEF announced in January it had finally approved plans for a league fixture to be moved to Miami.

Then, earlier this week, UEFA announced it had also reluctantly agreed to the proposals from the Spanish and Italian leagues.

European football's governing body said it was in "clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country," but that FIFA's regulatory framework is not clear and detailed enough for the requests to be rejected.

Those regulations are being reviewed by a working group put together by FIFA, with UEFA pledging to update them to avoid games being relocated in the future.

"UEFA will actively contribute to the ongoing work led by FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities," a statement said.

Once they receive the request, U.S. Soccer and Concacaf will consult with key stakeholders -- advisers, league officials and other prominent individuals in North American soccer -- before making a call.

There is no established timeline on how long the decision from U.S. Soccer and Concacaf can take.

There also remains significant opposition within Spain, from the Players' Association (AFE) and LaLiga clubs, with Real Madrid saying a match outside of Spain "distorts" the competition.

While none of them can halt the process of the game being taken to the U.S. immediately, they could escalate the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

On Sunday, Dec. 21, the Miami Dolphins are due to play the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. The game is set for the lucrative "Sunday Night Football" slot.

Reconfiguring the stadium from hosting soccer one day to NFL the next, or vice versa, would be challenging, although sources have told ESPN it would be possible.

ESPN's Lizzy Becherano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.