The topic of major European football leagues playing competitive matches abroad has been bubbling up for a couple of years. Following the revenues earned in preseason games, in lesser trophy games like the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia, and even regular season major league sports coming from the US to Europe, it’s easy to see the appeal. However, in May 2025, the British government said that it’d prevent this from happening.
In practice, the new Football Governance Bill and its established Independent Football Regulator were left somewhat vague on the matter. Both technically have the power to stop such a move under the guise of safeguarding heritage and partaking in prohibited competitions, but by the looks of it, the bill leaves room for manoeuvre. Premier League CEO Richard Masters says there aren’t plans to go overseas, but that could change.
La Liga and Serie A Exploring Overseas Options
To date, major European leagues haven’t ever played a competitive game outside of their resident nations, let alone off of the continent. Yet, the idea has started to become normalised. Barcelona tried to get the idea off of the ground in 2024, and this year, they look primed to take on Villarreal in Miami, Florida. The Spanish FA has given the go-ahead, and Hard Rock Stadium is ready to host the game on 21 December.
Should the La Liga fixture take place in the US, reports suggest that Villarreal will collect €6 million as the home team and Barcelona will net €5 million. The aim of the game, however, is to grow the already-growing global fan base. AC Milan and Como are also aiming to head to Perth in Australia in February 2026, using the San Siro’s involvement in the Winter Olympics as their excuse. Serie A has approved this proposal.
AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot has criticised the decision to schedule his side’s Serie A fixture against Como in Perth, Australia.
Rabiot said: “It’s crazy to travel so many kilometres to play a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt. As always.… pic.twitter.com/P1RfmgFxkT
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 8, 2025
Both fixtures, at the time of writing, are a bit up in the air. The leagues and teams are ready to go, but UEFA might step in to cancel the plans. In September, the European governing body was set to rule on the matter, but they delayed the decision. Instead, UEFA will revert to a consultation period with federations, clubs, and fan associations.
Where Might the Premier League Follow?
If the La Liga and Serie A games prove to be commercially success, the Premier League would undoubtedly see itself as a much bigger attraction. Looking at the global landscape, the value of sports markets, and proven regions to visit, it’d make sense that the Premier League would eye up the entertainment capital of the world. Already, Formula One has enjoyed an audacious arrival in Las Vegas to much fanfare and hefty stacks of cash.
As a huge event for British fans, Vegas could also be an appealing option. After all, alongside its many sports teams, it is the most famous casino gaming hub on the planet. In the UK, there’s the odd land-based casino, but more people than ever nowadays play casino online. Loaded with roulette, blackjack, and their many variants, modern online casinos offer experiences that build upon classic land-based casinos with added convenience, resulting in a sector netting £4.4 billion each year.
Even while boasting so many of the same games, however, Las Vegas is a very different beast to the experience of playing at home, with around 40 million people visiting a year. There’s nothing quite like that in the UK. The big drawback for fans that don’t travel, however, is the time difference. Sin City is eight hours behind the UK, making a midday game an 8 pm kick-off, which may be seen as incompatible locally. So, maybe an East Coast game’s more likely after all.
Should the Premier League look to play abroad, and Serie A and La Liga are permitted to do so, clubs could make quite the splash in Nevada. That said, do these clubs guaranteed over £100 million for one season need the additional revenue only found by playing away from their local fans? Probably not.