Barcelona will face Villarreal in Miami in a La Liga match on December 20, the Spanish top flight said Wednesday, making it the first European league fixture to be played abroad.

Earlier this week, European football governing body UEFA said they opposed the idea of games being played overseas but would permit it on an exceptional basis, along with a Serie A match in Australia in February between AC Milan and Como.

“With this match we take a historic step that projects La Liga and Spanish football into a new dimension,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas in a statement.

“We understand and respect the concerns that this decision may generate, but it is important to put it into context — it is a single match out of the 380 that make up the season.”

The game was due to be played at Villar

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