LaLiga news: Villareal and Atletico Madrid submit formal request to the RFEF to play a league game in the United States

Villareal CF and Atletico de Madrid, in collaboration with the LaLiga, have submitted a formal request to the RFEF (Real Federación Española de Fútbol) for a league fixture to be played in the United States.

The game is reportedly set to be held on the 6th of December, at 22:00 Spanish time and the two sides have shown a willingness to contest in the spectacle outside the country.

As part of a continued strategy for international growth, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami has been chosen as the venue to bring one of the most competitive leagues in European football closer to the American audience.

In recent seasons, a whole host of top clubs have toured the United States as part of their pre-season preparations and the trend is set to continue in the coming years. Atletico Madrid participated in the MLS All-Star game this summer, which was a one-off event held in Orlando, Florida.

Club CEO Miguel Angel Gil expressed the club's plans to develop their global audience and went on to reveal that such occasions could prove to be instrumental in bringing Spanish football closer to the non-local audience.

"Atlético 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.”

LaLiga President Javier Tebas also echoed his compatriot's thoughts and talked up the opportunity to boost the league's audience worldwide, as part of their internationalization strategy.

"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.”

It has been reported that players and coaches from both sides are enthusiastic about the prospect of playing a competitive fixture in the United States.

Season ticket holders from Villareal will be able to choose between a 40% discount for their next season ticket, a ticket for the game in the second half of the season in the Wanda Metropolitano (a maximum of 3,000, including a return ticket on Renfe trains), or travel to Miami to experience the match live (limited to 600 fans).