Javier Tebas insisted it was going to happen. The La Liga president has a tendency of doing these things. He's a big manifestation guy. Say something loud enough, and with enough authority, and it will come true. His latest speaking of something into existence?
There will be a competitive game of top flight Spanish soccer in the United States. And it would be held in Miami.
"We have to find a good date in the calendar, but we are going to try to do it in Miami, where we tried previously. We are not going to do a whole gameweek. It will be one game (per season), and that’s it," he told The Athletic in August 2024.
The comments caused a stir. European soccer has long had a fascination with playing its games abroad, such are the commercial revenue possibilities. Preseason friendlies in the U.S. are customary at this point - Bournemouth-Everton was played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last week as part of the Premier League Summer Series.
But competitive soccer, with points on the line, was always something of a pipe dream. Still, there Tebas was, insisting that it could happen - and with a venue already determined.
Reports at the time suggested the fixture would be held that December, near Christmas. And then the conversation simply faded. It became clear that the logistics were too hasty, even if Tebas is a very good politician. But the fact that his statement picked up any steam, and was even considered, suggested that the concept - resisted so virulently by numerous parties for so long - is coming closer to fruition.
Legal barriers that once prevented such game are collapsing. The Club World Cup's success - especially in the games that mattered among big European clubs - will offer a boost. It seems inevitable at this point: there will be a competitive football match held in the United States. Soon. It will send American fans into a frenzy, and infuriate core supporters to no end.
And for good or ill, there's no way to stop it.