Real Madrid and Getafe stood still with the game underway. Motionless, letting the ball roll. An image for the history books — and a promise kept. Neither team played in the opening seconds. It lasted just under ten, brief but unmistakable: a coordinated protest. A collective stand. All of it in opposition to “Plan Miami,” LaLiga’s decision to move the Barça–Villarreal match overseas to the United States.
TV showed Real Madrid not playing
Television did not censor the moment — as it had in other stadiums by cutting to an aerial shot — but instead overlaid a banner reading “Commitment to peace.” That’s how it went down. It was brief, but it happened.
Inside the stadium, the protest drew overwhelming support. The crowd rose to its feet and applauded the players — though the sound barely carried on television. Moments later came chants of “Tebas, step down!” aimed at LaLiga president Javier Tebas.
In the commentary booth, broadcasters maintained normal tone. While the “commitment to peace” message stayed on screen, they explained the reason for the protest openly. The silent stand lasted just under ten seconds.
Mbappé took the kickoff, passed the ball back... and nobody moved to collect it. Everyone stood still. The Getafe players too, who didn’t press until Bellingham, walking, decided to control the ball and start playing. That’s when the game truly began—under applause from the Coliseum crowd. Real Madrid and Getafe stood together in protest, keeping their word.
Real Madrid statement
“Players from Getafe and Real Madrid observed a 15-second pause at the start of the match played at the Coliseum. They joined an initiative held across all fixtures in the ninth round of LaLiga, organized by the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) to protest, as explained in its statement, ‘symbolically, as a demand against the lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence from LaLiga regarding the possibility of holding a league match in the United States.’
Faced with the league’s repeated rejections and unrealistic proposals, the Spanish Footballers’ Association strongly opposes a project that lacks the approval of the main protagonists of our sport. It calls on the league to create a negotiation table where all information is shared and the exceptional characteristics of the project are analyzed, while addressing the players’ concerns and ensuring the protection of their labor rights and compliance with current regulations.”
Why are they protesting?
In simple terms, there are two sides to it. One camp opposes the idea outright, arguing that moving a league game abroad without unanimous approval from the clubs undermines the competition itself. Xabi Alonso called it an “adulteration of the competition.” Clear and firm. Others are less absolute but still critical of how the plan has been handled.
Clubs, for instance, have complained about a lack of information—details, transparency. How much money will LaLiga actually make from this? If any? They want explanations. In response, the league told players they could visit its headquarters on Friday the 24th to have their questions answered. The AFE rejected that proposal, noting that players would be competing or training that day. The players, in fact, are furious with the league.
“Boosting the brand”
LaLiga president Javier Tebas insists the goal is to “boost the Spanish football brand in the U.S. market, strengthen international broadcasting value, and bring LaLiga closer to a fan base that already exceeds 60 million people.” The league says the teams involved—Barcelona and Villarreal—volunteered and weren’t hand-picked. Claims that the move distorts the competition are, according to LaLiga, an overreaction: “It’s one game out of 380 in a season.”
And the money?
“The revenue generated will go toward strengthening LaLiga’s international presence and overall global value, not to a one-off payout for clubs. The aim isn’t short-term profit, but long-term strategy and growth,” Tebas explained. Those are the arguments—but they haven’t convinced many players or fans. And they’re the reason for the protest.
The move has caused a stir: LaLiga reportedly pressured teams to avoid participating—messages were sent to captains—and broadcasters censored the protest in many stadiums, showing only aerial shots of the venues instead. But not at the Coliseum. There, Real Madrid and Getafe made their statement against the “Miami Plan.” They didn’t play for the first 12 seconds—and everyone saw it live.