Barcelona will play in Miami instead of Spain: how the team faces a record flight.

Change of venue for the Barcelona match

According to The Sun: The Barcelona team embarks on a lengthy journey of 10,000 miles ahead of Christmas due to an unexpected schedule change. They will head to Miami, USA, where on December 21 they will face Villarreal in an important match.

Players, led by Marcus Rashford, face two flights of 5000 miles in preparation for the match. The distance from Barcelona, Spain to Miami, Florida is about 4700 miles over the Atlantic Ocean.

The match between Barcelona and Villarreal will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and will be the first La Liga match held on foreign soil.

Fortunately, players will have the opportunity to rest after such a long journey, as the next match is scheduled for January 4, when Barcelona will play against Catalan rivals Espanyol.

Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, believes this controversial match is a positive step as it allows the club to connect with international fans. He noted: “We look forward to the opportunity to reconnect with all our fans in the United States and are grateful to La Liga for the chance to engage with one of the club’s key strategic markets.”

“As a global club with millions of fans worldwide, this opportunity strengthens our commitment to the international fan base – especially in such an important market as the USA.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas also emphasized this event as a “historic step” that will benefit Spanish football and tried to reassure local fans that similar matches will not become regular in the La Liga calendar.

“This match is a historic step that elevates La Liga and Spanish football to a new level.”

Villarreal president Fernando Roig emphasized that the club is taking “concrete measures” to compensate season ticket holders. The match was supposed to take place at Villarreal's stadium, but due to the change of venue, those who purchased tickets may not have the opportunity to attend the match.

The move to Hard Rock Stadium will lead to a significant increase in potential attendance, from 23,500 to 65,326 seats.

“This initiative allows us to reach fans in other parts of the world and continue to expand the club's brand and La Liga,” added Roig.

This event opens new opportunities for Spanish football on an international scale and demonstrates the active strategy of clubs to reach global markets. With this initiative, fans in the USA will have the opportunity to get closer to the league and its teams, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the popularity and growth of the La Liga brand outside of Spain.