MONACO (AP) — At the Champions League draw in Monaco this week, UEFA hosted European soccer officials and marketing executives from the United States with a radical plan on their minds.

A Spanish proposal for Barcelona and Villarreal to play an official La Liga game in Miami on Dec. 20 is moving toward a decision by UEFA leaders when they meet in two weeks’ time.

Breaking the seal on finally letting European clubs play domestic league games abroad is seen by fans as a betrayal of tradition and risks a backlash of the kind that stopped the divisive and club-driven Super League project in 2021.

It also is a lucrative opportunity for clubs and leagues to build their brands and fan bases globally like the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB franchises have done by playing games in Europe and elsewhere

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