La Liga’s Global Ambitions: The Journey to Playing Official Matches Abroad

In a recent interview with Expansion, Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, discussed the league’s future plans and its efforts to expand globally. Tebas expressed his belief that La Liga will eventually play official matches abroad and stated that it could happen as early as the 2025-26 season. He emphasized the importance of tapping into international markets, particularly North America, to maintain La Liga’s position as one of the world’s premier football leagues.

Tebas acknowledged the challenges posed by competing leagues and the need for innovation. He highlighted why he believes it is essential for La Liga to adapt and evolve in order to stay ahead of the competition. The president noted that an official match in the US would strengthen La Liga’s position in the North American market, which is currently the second biggest for the league after Spain.

In terms of technology, Tebas addressed concerns about goal-line technology and its effectiveness and cost. Instead of using goal-line technology, he proposed increasing the use of cameras to assist referees. Tebas argued that this approach is more cost-effective and would help improve officiating standards without breaking the bank. “Goal-line technology is not a perfect technology,” Tebas explained. “But it is not only that: throughout a season, ghost goals happen three or four times and If you add to that that it is not perfect, the cost is very high for the use given to it: it means investing between five and six million for the two divisions to use it once and with no doubts. What I do advocate is to implement more cameras that help