Club América president Santiago Baños told reporters that he is “not opposed” to the Mexican side playing regular season Liga MX games in the United States while the club’s home stadium undergoes renovation next season.
Such an arrangement would be a landmark not just for Club America (one of the most popular teams in all of North America with a legion of U.S.-based fans), but also for the world of soccer at large. In effect, it could be one of the first instances of a domestic league match being played on foreign soil following Relevent Sports’ 2019 lawsuit against FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation, which currently appears to be winding down after Relevent and FIFA struck a deal to remove the world’s governing body as a defendant.
The suit centered on a FIFA policy that blocked domestic leagues from holding regular-season matches abroad. After being dropped as a defendant in the case, FIFA commissioned a working group aimed at potentially ending the policy, and an attorney representing the organization said it would likely be changed by the end of 2024.
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Speaking on Thursday head of the two-legged Liga MX final, Baños said the second leg between his club and fellow Mexican giants Cruz Azul on May 26 will be the last played at the Estadio Azteca before the stadium undergoes a massive remodel ahead of the 2026 World Cup, for which it will be a host venue.
“We’re not opposed to the possibility of playing in the United States as the home team, now that the lawsuit has been finalized and it appears that there’s a possibility for other teams to play there,” Baños said. “It would be incredible to play in the U.S. and in other (Mexican) states because we have so many fans.”
He added that in addition to the U.S., the team will consider playing matches in other stadiums in Mexico.
“There are talks to see if we can play in the country as the home team because we have a lot of supporters in other cities who want to see us play.” Baños said.
Liga MX has long been one of if not the most-watched domestic soccer leagues among U.S. viewers. Major League Soccer has attempted to tap into that audience more in recent years, most notably by expanding the Leagues Cup into a month-long competition involving all the teams from every league in a World Cup-style tournament.
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(Photo: Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images)
