No Australia trip for Christian Pulisic: Why Milan’s Serie A game against Como U-turns back to Italy and what’s next

The prospect of seeing Christian Pulisic feature in a historic overseas Serie A match has dimmed dramatically, as Milan’s February 2026 meeting with Como appears set to return to Italian soil. What was once presented as a groundbreaking move — a league match played in Perth — has become shrouded in uncertainty. The clash, once promoted as a groundbreaking soccer export, is now expected to remain in Italy — even though the official explanation is still partially clouded. The reasons, however, would become strikingly clear as negotiations progressed

For months, Milan and Como had envisioned the February fixture as the first Serie A match ever staged outside Italy, a symbolic leap meant to expand the league’s global footprint. FIFA and UEFA had reluctantly agreed. The clubs had aligned. Lega Serie A had embraced the opportunity. Perth’s Optus Stadium — a 61,000-seat venue — was selected, and even the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) and Soccer Australia had delivered provisional approval.

It was clear from early planning that the decision was financially motivated. Como openly defended the move as essential for the survival of the league, stating in a lengthy release: “It is about ensuring survival, and building a future where Serie A remains competitive, respected, and globally admired.” But as February approaches, a more complicated picture has emerged.

AFC and Football Australia impose game-changing conditions

Midway through discussions, the full truth surfaced: the restrictions placed by the AFC and Soccer Australia are so strict that they effectively block Milan vs. Como from taking place in Australia. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the approval came with two non-negotiable conditions: The match could not be marketed as a Serie A fixture, and the referee team had to come from the AFC, not from Italy’s CAN.

These terms struck at the core of the match’s identity. If the game could not legally be billed as Serie A, and could not be officiated under domestic refereeing standards, it no longer resembled a legitimate league contest. The request stunned officials across Italy. One source described the conditions as “too restrictive to maintain the competition’s integrity.” From that moment, the project stalled.

What happens now? Milan scrambles for new venue

The timing could not be worse. San Siro will be unavailable due to preparations for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, forcing Milan to locate an alternative site. Several Italian venues are occupied that weekend, making scheduling tight and travel logistics challenging.

The most likely solutions now include relocating the match to another stadium within Italy and postponing the fixture until San Siro becomes available again. Inter recently played a Coppa Italia quarter-final in Monza, a potential model for Milan’s emergency reshuffling.

UEFA, which had already approved this match along with a since-cancelled La Liga fixture in Miami, has taken a hands-off position. According to reports, only FIFA can now intervene to revive the Perth plan — and there is no indication that it will.