AC Milan v Como: Serie A game in Australia cancelled due to ‘unacceptable requests’
The fixture would have made history as the first-ever league game to be played abroad
The scheduled league fixture between in AC Milan and Como to be played in Perth, Australia, has been cancelled due to what the Serie A president called “unacceptable requests” made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The match, which had been pencilled for 8 February 2026, would have been the first-ever European domestic league game staged abroad.
However, financial risks and last-minute complications meant it was “impossible” for the match to go ahead, according to Serie A president Ezio Simonelli.
“In the face of an escalation of further and unacceptable requests arrived in the last few hours by the AFC towards the Australian Federation and consequently the Government of Western Australia and the Serie A Football League, it has become impossible to play the Milan-Como match in Perth on 8 February,” Simonelli said.
The cancellation comes just two months after LaLiga scrapped plans to have league match between Barcelona and Villarreal played in Miami after criticism and opposition within Spain.
UEFA described the decision to initially approve the matches as a “regrettable” decision, while Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said “one domestic match abroad is one too many”.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said in August that there are no plans to stage an English top-flight match overseas.