LaLiga players protest forces league to cancel Miami game

LaLiga players protested the league’s plan to host the Villarreal vs. Barcelona game in Miami, forcing officials to cancel it. Here’s how the protest unfolded and why it mattered.

INMR

October 22, 2025

2–3 minutes

AFE players, La Liga, LaLiga protest, Miami match, Spanish football news, Villarreal vs Barcelona

When LaLiga first announced that the Villarreal vs. Barcelona fixture on December 21 would be played in Miami, most fans didn’t believe it would actually happen. It sounded like the “football globalisation” experiments that was always talked about but never happened. But months past then,UEFA and FIFA reluctantly gave the green light. And that was when it became clear.

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The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) led a strong opposition, with players and coaches openly voicing frustration. Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso called the idea “disrespectful to players and fans alike”, while Barcelona’s Hansi Flick confirmed that his squad was “not happy” about the decision.

Over the weekend, that frustration turned into action. Across multiple LaLiga games, players staged on-field protests by refusing to play for the first 15 to 30 seconds. It was a quiet and powerful show of unity.

Although, the major broadcasts tried to avoid the standoff, some began late, and others zoomed out. But the message was loud and clear enough.

LaLiga had argued the Miami match would bring “the league closer to global fans” and generate commercial growth. But players and supporters saw it differently. For them, this wasn’t about global exposure, it was about the integrity of domestic competition.

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A 17-hour flight for a league game in December, right in the middle of a congested schedule, was seen as reckless. “If Villarreal lose points in that game,” a fan told Spanish media, “they lose home advantage, travel halfway across the world, and maybe miss out on Europe, all for TV rights money.”

In the end, common sense prevailed. Under mounting pressure from players, fans, and even coaches, LaLiga cancelled the Miami plan, confirming the fixture will now be played in Spain as originally intended.

It’s not often that protests in football actually work, but this one did. And it wasn’t just about where a game was played. It was about respect, rest, and recognition for the players who keep the league alive week in, week out.

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Written by Pejuola Ransome