'Turning point for world football' - Real Madrid call on UEFA & FIFA to reject Barcelona's proposal to play La Liga game against Villarreal in United States

Barcelona's La Liga fixture against Villarreal in December could take place in the US, with the Royal Spanish Football Federation already giving its initial approval. La Liga president Javier Tebas has been keen to take the national league worldwide to globalise the competition and bring in more revenue, but Madrid have now voiced their firm opposition to the idea.

In a published statement, Madrid said: "Real Madrid CF wishes to express to its members, supporters, and football fans in general its firm rejection of the proposal to play the matchday 17 match of the National First Division League Championship between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona outside of Spain.

"The measure, implemented without prior information or consultation with the clubs participating in the competition, violates the essential principle of territorial reciprocity that governs double-round league competitions (one match at home and the other at the opposing team's home), altering the competitive balance and granting an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs. 

"The integrity of the competition demands that all matches be played under the same conditions for all teams. Unilaterally modifying this regime violates the equality between contenders, compromises the legitimacy of the results, and sets an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on interests other than strictly sporting interests, clearly affecting sporting integrity and risking adulteration of the competition. If this proposal is implemented, its consequences would be so serious that they would mark a turning point for the world of football."

Madrid also confirmed it has asked FIFA not to authorise the match and urged UEFA to get the RFEF to deny the request. Los Blancos have also requested that the Higher Sports Council does not give the fixture the go-ahead without unanimous consent from other clubs.

No European top-flight game has ever been hosted in the U.S., but leagues like La Liga and Serie A have tried to expand their footprint in recent years. The Supercopa de Espana and Supercoppa Italiana have been hosted in Saudi Arabia over the last couple of seasons, while AC Milan have also explored the idea of playing a match in Perth, Australia next February.

Madrid will wait to see if their requests are heard and implemented. While their legal team tries to block the match, their first-team squad will be in action on the pitch with a friendly against WSG Tirol on Tuesday night before their La Liga campaign starts with the visit of Osasuna to the Bernabeu next week.