The LaLiga match between Barcelona FC and Villareal CF scheduled for December 20 at Hard Rock Stadium has been canceled, per an official release on Tuesday. The cancellation avoids a conflict for any potential first-round College Football Playoff game Miami could host the same weekend.
It was reported earlier this week that the CFP and Miami were looking at alternatives with the potential of Hard Rock Stadium being used by LaLiga. The LaLiga match at Hard Rock Stadium was originally scheduled for about a 10:15 AM Eastern Standard Time kickoff.
Miami potentially could have hosted a game with a prime time kickoff on the same day. Orlando was also reportedly being looked into as an alternative location. The option of moving the game to another day was also in consideration.
Relevant, the promoter of the match chose to postpone it amid uncertainty from the LaLiga Players' Union. Netherlands national Frenkie de Jong, who plays for Barcelona, spoke out against the match being moved from Villareal to Miami.
Just in: LaLiga's controversial match in Miami won't happen in December after all. pic.twitter.com/26M4Mm3Tlf
— David Rumsey (@_DavidRumsey) October 21, 2025
The move back to Villarreal against Barcelona benefits the CFP and Miami in case the Hurricanes would be in a position to host a first-round playoff game. Seeking their first CFP berth, moving the game out of South Florida would have taken the home crowd away from Miami.
Miami is currently ranked ninth in the Associated Press Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches poll. Stanford is at Miami on Saturday and the Hurricanes play at SMU on November 1 before the inaugural 2025 CFP rankings are released on November 4.
The top four teams in the CFP receive byes to the quarterfinals. Teams seeded fifth through eighth host seeds nine through 12 in the first round of the CFP. Miami is 5-1 halfway through the 2025 season and likely has to win its final six 2025 regular-season games to have a chance at a CFP berth.