FIFA has begun reviewing its rules for domestic league matches in foreign countries and is seeking legal advice on whether it can ban them. World football's governing body would like to outlaw the practice but will be guided by legal findings in its first review of the rules in 11 years.
A source involved in the process said FIFA was working to make its rule book more robust, with new rules ready early next year. this week UEFA accused FIFA's “relevant regulatory framework” for its decision to allow the Villarreal-Barcelona match to take place in Miami in December and the Milan-Como match to take place in Perth in February. Understandably, this has caused serious irritation within FIFA as, under existing rules, it is not their decision.
The rules were written in 2014, when the transfer of domestic league matches to overseas territories was not considered a pressing issue after Premier League plans for game 39 collapsed in 2008. Then-Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore's proposal for an “international round” was ahead of its time, but fans were outraged and it was not implemented elsewhere.
FIFA can only ban what its rule book calls an “international match” if the correct procedures are not followed. The rules state that such matches must be sanctioned by the football associations of the clubs involved and the territory in which the game will be played, as well as the relevant confederations.
La Liga and Serie A gave their consent at the start of the season before referring the matter to UEFA, which made its decision this week. The issue now lies with the host soccer associations – the US Soccer Federation and Soccer Australia – and their respective confederations, Concacafe and the Asian Football Confederation.
La Liga has scheduled a Villarreal-Barcelona match at Inter Miami Hard Rock Stadium, but U.S. Soccer's approval is not guaranteed as there are concerns Major League Soccer would suffer commercially if European and possibly Mexican league games could also be staged in the country.
FIFA is working to make its rules clearer, despite concerns about its legal position. US promoter Relevent Sports filed an antitrust lawsuit against US Soccer in 2019 after Barcelona's request to play Girona in Miami was denied last year, with FIFA named as co-defendants.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said this week that allowing global freedom for all would be a “big risk” for football. FIFA declined to comment.
