It’s a plan that has set European soccer alight — and one which leaves Christian Pulisic and his Milan teammates getting ready for a unprecedented journey. In February 2026, Milan will make Serie A historical past by taking part in a home league match on one other continent. The Rossoneri’s fixture in opposition to Como will happen not in Italy, however at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, following UEFA’s approval of a once-unthinkable proposal.
The choice comes as San Siro, Milan’s house, turns into unavailable attributable to preparations for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which start simply days earlier. UEFA referred to as the ruling an “distinctive circumstance” — not a precedent — however the transfer has opened a worldwide debate on the way forward for home soccer. Whereas some see the choice as a daring alternative to globalize Italian soccer, others — together with Milan’s personal gamers — have referred to as it an pointless threat.
Nobody has expressed that view extra passionately than Adrien Rabiot, one of many Rossoneir’s most influential midfielders. Talking to Le Figaro, the Frenchman stated he was shocked by the thought. “I used to be shocked after I heard that Milan will play a Serie A match in opposition to Como in Australia! It’s utterly mad,” Rabiot stated.
“These are monetary agreements to present visibility to the league, so it’s over our heads. There’s a lot discuss fixture lists and sustaining the well being of the gamers, but it surely all appears absurd. It’s loopy to journey that far for a sport between two Italian groups in Australia. We simply should adapt, as all the time.” The midfielder’s feedback rapidly unfold throughout Europe, sparking a wave of help from participant unions and followers involved about participant welfare, environmental prices, and the commercialization of home leagues. However Serie A’s management noticed issues in another way.
Serie A chief fires again
Luigi De Siervo, the Lega Serie A CEO, responded sharply to Rabiot’s criticism, urging gamers to “present extra respect” for his or her golf equipment and the enterprise realities of recent soccer. “Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn thousands and thousands of euros, that they’re paid to carry out a job — to play soccer,” De Siervo instructed reporters in Rome, as quoted by La Repubblica. “He ought to have extra respect for the cash he earns and be extra accommodating in direction of his employer, Milan, who agreed and pushed for this match to be performed overseas.”
The Serie A chief insisted the transfer to Australia represents a strategic evolution, not a betrayal of custom. He pointed to examples from different sports activities to justify the choice. “Final 12 months’s Tour de France began from Florence, the Giro d’Italia typically begins overseas,” De Siervo defined. “The NFL and NBA have been taking part in exterior the U.S. for years, with the idea of being world merchandise. Soccer should comply with this mannequin if it desires to remain aggressive.”
He acknowledged the logistical problem however referred to as it “a sacrifice that may be made.” “It’s a fancy operation,” De Siervo admitted, “however they’ll be travelling in consolation. These are top-level athletes. It’s a chance to increase Italian soccer’s world attain, not weaken it.”
Infantino steps in
Because the controversy grew, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was drawn into the dialogue throughout the ECA Basic Meeting in Rome. Requested concerning the Milan vs. Como fixture, Infantino provided a balanced perspective — supportive of innovation, however agency concerning the want for management.
“In soccer, now we have a world and nationwide construction,” he stated. “It’s a construction that has made soccer the primary sport on this planet, but it surely’s only one match. We would like everybody to play wherever they need, however we wish one thing with guidelines. Deregulation on this space doesn’t assist anybody.”
Then, in a comment that has since outlined the controversy, Infantino summed up FIFA’s place with a five-word assertion: “It must be regulated.”These phrases struck a chord. For a lot of, they captured the strain between soccer’s world ambitions and its conventional roots — between the market-driven urge to increase and the governing our bodies’ duty to guard sporting integrity.
