Spanish football could finally be heading to the United States after Atletico Madrid and Villarreal requested permission to play their La Liga fixture in Miami.
In a joint statement between Atletico, Villarreal and La Liga, the parties confirmed a formal request had been submitted to the Spanish football federation (RFEF) to switch the location of the December 6 clash to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
President Javier Tebas said: “This match will be another boost to the internationalisation strategy of LaLiga, which is providing great results for all our member clubs and SADs.
"We hope that this time we can carry out this positive action for everyone, as other leagues like the NFL or the NBA do when they stage matches overseas.”
La Liga confirmed Atletico's match with Villarreal had been chosen "due to the interest and willingness shown by both clubs".
Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil said: "Atletico de Madrid works every season to expand and improve our brand across all continents and this match in the United States will allow us to keep working on this.
“Furthermore, we will be able to bring Spanish football closer to fans who live outside of our country. It will be a great occasion that marks the future.”
“Exporting football and Spanish sport is good for everyone, and of course this includes ourselves," added Villarreal CF President Fernando Roig.
“The United States is a very important country, where Villarreal already has official academies and and carries out different activities for the development of football. For this reason it will be very special for us to be able to play there."
It follows La Liga's unsuccessful attempt to host Girona's January meeting with Barcelona in the Florida city.
Ultimately, Barcelona withdrew their support for the idea last season, citing a lack of consensus from all the required parties.
La Liga signed a 15-year agreement with entertainment company Relevent Sports in August last year with the intention of promoting the sport and La Liga in North America.
The agreement included the commitment to host one of La Liga's regular-season matches per season on the other side of the Atlantic.
Additional reporting from Reuters.
