"La Liga match in Argentina? The AFA would have to change"

La Liga president Javier Tebas reiterated on Tuesday in Buenos Aires the interest of the Spanish league in having one of its competition matches played in the United States in the 2025-2026 season, and did not rule out the possibility that a match of the tournament could be played in Argentina.

"It's a goal we've been trying to achieve for a long time (...). Let's see if this time it's the definitive one," said the head of the Spanish league at the annual S'portel Rendez-vous, which brings together federations, television channels and companies dedicated to sports production.

La Liga had already tried to have two matches of its competition played in the US city of Miami (Girona-FC Barcelona in the 2018-2019 season and Villarreal-Atletico Madrid in the 2019-2020 season). However, the proposal was unsuccessful. It was opposed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the European country's judiciary.

"The president of the RFEF has changed, fortunately for many, and the FIFA regulations for this situation have changed," said Tebas, who ironised the criticism of the Spanish top club competition's arrival on the American continent.

"It's a match (...). We are not inventing anything, American sports like the NBA or the NFL play matches in Europe and the strategy is not the same, but it is similar," said La Liga's chief.

Tebas assured that playing a match in Miami generates a "resonance effect". "It allows people who don't know you to get to know you better," he said.

On the possibility of two Spanish teams competing in a match in Argentina, Tebas acknowledged that La Liga "can imagine it", but was very critical of the current board of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

"They would have to change their leaders. I don't think they are very cooperative," said the president, referring to the team led by the president of the South American federation, Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia.