Planned Barca-Villarreal match in Miami cancelled, says LaLiga

The proposed LaLiga match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami has been cancelled by its promoter following fierce criticism in Spain, LaLiga said on Tuesday.

The fixture, scheduled for the Hard Rock Stadium on Dec 20, was set to be the first LaLiga match held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad.

"LaLiga reports that, following discussions with the promoter of the LaLiga official match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the event due to the uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks," LaLiga said in a statement.

"LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.

"The staging of an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition."