The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is reviewing its regulations regarding domestic matches held in foreign countries, aiming to ban such games after widespread controversy in European football circles.

According to The Guardian, FIFA is seeking legal advice to update its rules for the first time since 2014, with plans to issue new regulations at the beginning of 2026.

This move follows tensions surrounding UEFA’s “reluctant” approval of the Villarreal vs. Barcelona match in Miami this December, and the Milan vs. Como game in Perth, Australia, in February. UEFA attributed the decision to the shortcomings of FIFA’s current regulations in dealing with this modern phenomenon, confirming that the 2014 rules do not explicitly prohibit these matches, classifying them as “international” fixtures that can be organized with the consent of the involved clubs’ associations, the host country’s federation, and each party’s continental federation.

Although the Italian and Spanish leagues obtained approvals from their local associations and UEFA, concerns are growing in the United States, where the Major League Soccer (MLS) fears the negative commercial impact of hosting European or Mexican matches on its soil, reinforcing FIFA’s move towards a final ban on this phenomenon.