Why is a Spanish soccer match set to be held in the US so controversial?

It’s something that is very familiar for American sports fans: Your favorite team in your favorite sport is sent to play a regular season game abroad.

The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL all regularly do this and, in some cases, are increasing the amount of games held overseas every year in an effort to expand the footprint of the sport, as well as for economic reasons.

Now, European soccer is joining America’s superpower sports in attempting to host fixtures beyond its native shores.

The proposal now moves to European governing body UEFA and world governing body FIFA for the final authorization steps in what would be a groundbreaking game: the first ever European fixture to be played in the US.

In a similar move, the Italian Football Federation approved a regular season league match between AC Milan and Como to be played in Australia in February 2026, though the fixture is also pending official sign-off.