Barcelona’s marketing department is nothing if not creative.
No sooner had the Catalan club seen a healthy chunk of much-needed revenue wiped off by the cancellation of their Miami-based league meeting with Villarreal than a new lucrative friendly in Peru was reportedly in the works.
A combination of public backlash and the divisive communication approach of La Liga president Javier Tebas ultimately led to the demise of a project which has been in the works for more than half a decade.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta admitted that he was “not enthusiastic” about the venture but conceded: “Money will be made in Miami.” Not any more. The Catalan outfit are thought to have lost out on around $5–6 million by this cancellation. Yet, when one door closes, another one opens.
The reigning La Liga champions have been presented with the prospect of playing a friendly in Peru over the winter break that could bank the club between €7–8 million ($8.2–9.3 million), according to Mundo Deportivo. The exact location and opponent for this money-spinning friendly has not yet been established, but Barcelona’s willingness to take part is becoming clear.
Laporta is, surprisingly enough, reportedly eager to accept the proposal and has opened up a dialogue with manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco about the feasibility of staging such a match.
When Could Barcelona Play Lucrative Friendly?
Flick spent much of last season raging against La Liga’s condensed schedule, yet now it’s his own club which could be causing selection issues.
The Catalans ended 2025 with the clash against Villarreal—which will be held at the Estadio de la Cerámica after much debate—on Dec. 20. Barcelona are not back in action until the first weekend of January when they face a derby against Espanyol at the Cornellà-El Prat stadium.
That gives the club a two-week window to work with. Barcelona are reportedly already in discussion with the Spanish Footballers’ Association to establish precisely how much of a break they have to give their players, who are already showing signs of being overworked.
Barcelona have been riddled with injuries across the first three months of the new campaign. Flick didn’t have a single attack-minded player who wasn’t a teenager on the bench for Sunday’s Clásico—a lack of options which forced center back Ronald Araujo up front for the second game in succession.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Find Alternative to Controversial, Cancelled Miami Fixture—Report.