FIGC lights the Serie A season match Milan-Como to be played below
July 11 – The Italian football confederation has given AC Milan the chance to play Como in Serie A in Perth, Australia, in what will be the first European football match to be played abroad.
This is due to the planning of Olympic logistics – the San Siro is needed for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina on February 6, 2026 – but make no mistake, this example could bring about a big change in everything we take for granted about domestic football.
Serie A, like all major European leagues, is always sniffing out untapped markets, and Australia represents a sports-mad country with a growing interest in football. Perth’s 32,000-capacity HBF Park could be sold out while providing valuable Serie A exposure in the Asia-Pacific region.
For Milan, the chance to play in front of passionate Australian fans – many of whom set their alarms at 3am to watch Serie A – represents marketing gold money can’t buy. Global reach would make a routine San Siro encounter against newly promoted Como look like a kick out of the park.
But here is where it gets messy. The integrity of football’s competition depends on the playing fields, and home games abroad introduce variables that can significantly change the results of sports.
Tour fatigue is no small distraction when teams face a 20-hour slog in Perth. While Milan may like this as a pleasant surprise, Como – who are struggling to survive in Serie A – may legitimately argue that they are disadvantaged by preparing for an important league game on the other side of the world.
The neutral zone also upsets the competitive balance. Milan lost their home advantage while Como didn’t get theirs either. It is a sports purgatory that can be decisive in relegation battles or European qualification races.
Of particular concern is the example of this setup. If Milan-Como gets the green light from Football Australia, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA, what is stopping other leagues from doing the same?
The global popularity of the Premier League means they will be watching it like hawks. La Liga has already caused controversy and US courts have forced FIFA to re-examine the possibility of playing league matches overseas, while the once-defiant Bundesliga may reconsider if rivals receive marketing benefits.
It suggests the possibility of “domestic” leagues scattered across continents, with fixture lists that read more like airline timetables than football schedules.
Local supporters who organize their entire lives around their clubs will also be affected, emotionally and financially. Milan’s season ticket holders miss out on the home game they paid for, while the away side Como face an impossible trip. The romantic atmosphere that makes Serie A special is being replaced by neutrals with curiosity and corporate hospitality.
The soul of football has always been about the community, the pride of place, the culture of supporting your team in a familiar place. Taking a match abroad, for whatever reason, pushes that foundation.
The “complicated approval process” mentioned by FIGC points to the administrative challenge ahead. Many governing bodies need to be approved, broadcasting rights need to be renegotiated, and security agreements need to be established from scratch.
While Milan-Como in Perth may seem like one solution to the Olympic scheduling conflict, it represents a watershed moment for European football. The temptation to trade is undeniable, but the dangers to the integrity of sports are just as real.
FIGC said the move “could be a historic ‘journey’ abroad for Serie A football.” The question is not whether it is history – whether it deserves the history it sets.
Football authorities must tread carefully. Open this door, and there may be no closing it again.
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