Perth, Australia – AC Milan will play a Serie A match against Como in perth, Australia, in February 2026, marking a historic first for a major European football league. The decision, greenlit by UEFA on Monday with “a heavy โขheart,” alongside a Villarreal vs. Barcelona match slated for Miami,โข is already โฃdrawing criticism from โplayers.
Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot voiced his disbelief,calling the plan “absolutely crazy.”โค “Thereโ are financial agreements to ensure the league has aโ certainโ level of visibility, but allโข this is โคout of our control,”โฃ Rabiot told Le Figaro on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, as reported by The Athletic. “It’sโ crazy to travel thousands ofโ kilometers to play a match between two Italian teams in โAustralia. We โขhave to adapt. As usual. There is a lot of talk about schedules and player health, but all this feels very โขabsurd.”
The Serie A match and the Barcelona-Villarreal game requireโฃ final approval from FIFA. Previously,only Super Cups – like the Italian and Spanish versions -โ have been held outside of their respective countries. The Barcelona match is scheduled for December.
The moveโ comes after the German โขBundesliga (DFL) rejected similar proposals, and theโ English Premier League faced opposition from FIFA and fans when considering overseas matches in 2008.
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