First La Liga game in USA could be played in less than two months after Barcelona plea

The first La Liga regular-season game played in the United States could be held as soon as December, with Barcelona pushing for approval from governing bodies.

Barca hopes to host its Dec. 22 clash with Atletico Madrid at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, according to the Daily Mail, and people behind the efforts are "hopeful" they will receive the necessary approval.

The game is scheduled to be played at Barcelona's temporary home, the Olympic Stadium, while renovation work continues on the Camp Nou. But Barca, Atleti and La Liga have joined forces to lobby for the game to be played at the home of the Miami Dolphins.

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The landmark fixture would certainly be highly lucrative for all involved, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Antoine Griezmann sure to lure a capacity crowd. That is sure to appeal to Barcelona amid its well-publicized financial issues. But approval is required from the Spanish Football Federation, UEFA and FIFA for the game to be staged in Florida.

The Spanish league has been aggressive with its plans to access the American market with regular season games being played stateside. Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, said in the April he hoped to have a games being played in the U.S. by the 2025-26 season.

But he could get his wish sooner than anticipated. A regulatory barrier preventing soccer games from being played outside of their home market was removed in earlier this year after a resolution was reached between FIFA and New York-based event promotor Relevant Sports.

Europe's biggest soccer clubs have played preseason games in the U.S. for many years, giving fans opportunities to see their favorite stars in action. But as interest in the sport has grown, so has the desire for competitive games to be staged overseas.

Tebas said playing regular-season games in America in particular – where interest is boosted by soccer-mad Hispanic communities – will enable La Liga to compete with rival competitions like the Premier League and Bundesliga.

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"I think it could be in the 2025-26 season, but La Liga will play official matches abroad," Tebas told Spanish newspaper Expansion. "An official match in the U.S. will strengthen our position in the North American market, which is the second market for La Liga after Spain.

"Other very competitive leagues are coming so we cannot always do the same thing, but we cannot allow them to overtake us."

Barcelona sits top of the La Liga table after 10 games, sitting three points clear of rivals Real Madrid. Atleti occupy third place, a further four points back from the Catalan club.