In what has become a growing, money-making tradition, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will be bringing their famous rivalry to the United States for the second summer in a row.
they will play el clasico,
of course it will be a preseason match. The tour – which will also feature Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus and AC Milan – is not a tournament like some of its predecessors. It's essentially eight one-off games, smack-dab in the middle of the Women's World Cup, billed by organizers as a “summer series” that will span California, Las Vegas, Texas and Florida.
But the headliner is the game of all sports, perhaps the world's most famous sporting rivalry, in the grandest stadium of all grand stadiums, Jerry's World, the 105,000-seat home of the Dallas Cowboys that aspire to host the 2026 World Cup finals.
el classico comes to america
When Barca and Madrid first brought their blood feud to America in 2017, some purists scoffed at the concept; But the exhibition game, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, was a roaring success. miami classico drew 1.7 million viewers across ESPN platforms and a sellout crowd willing to pay many hundreds of dollars for tickets. The players really competed. Barcelona's 3-2 victory left everyone thrilled.
It felt, at the time, like a watershed moment for the International Champions Cup, the preseason event of 18 teams and 27 games spread across nine countries at the end of the previous decade. In early 2020, the organizers were In conversation To inaugurate Southern California's SoFi Stadium with a second stateside Clásico in the summer.
But then came COVID-19. ICC cancels its 2020 programming, fails during pandemic, and embroiled in a legal dispute between its parent company, Relevant Sports, and its mastermind, legendary football promoter Charlie Stillitano. The men's ICC has not been played since then.
Relevant still runs Women's ICC and other enterprises. This summer, it's working with the Premier League of England And Spain's La Liga on two separate North American tours. But in 2022, the Soccer Champions Tour will swoop in for Barca and Madrid to host a clásico at the Elegante Stadium in Las Vegas. (Barca won, 1–0, in front of a boisterous, sell-out crowd.)
In its second year, the Football Champions Tour has expanded to feature two clubs each from Spain, England and Italy. Sixth Street, a global investment firm Has partnered with both Barca and Real Madrid, is the company behind it. AEG is producing it. fables is a major partner. and Stillitano, according to a source with knowledge of the tour's development, has been included as a consultant.
preseason tour schedule
The Soccer Champions Tour announced its full 2023 slate on Friday:
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Saturday, July 22: Barcelona v Juventus – Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
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Sunday, July 23: Real Madrid v AC Milan – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
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Wednesday, July 26: Arsenal v Barcelona – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
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Wednesday, July 26: Real Madrid v Manchester United – NRG Stadium, Houston
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Thursday, July 27: Juventus vs. AC Milan – Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
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Tuesday, August 1: AC Milan v Barcelona – Elegant Stadium, Las Vegas
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Wednesday, August 2: Juventus v Real Madrid – Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Kickoff time has not yet been determined. In their Friday news release, organizers said “matches remain subject to approval by the relevant football authorities,” but this is likely to be a formality.
Separately, Arsenal and Manchester United have scheduled preseason friendlies on 22 July at the MetLife Stadium in New jersey. united too Wrexham set to play San Diego on July 25 – Possibly with a reserve team, since a day later, it is now scheduled to play Real Madrid in Houston. This is Borussia Dortmund plays on July 30 in Vegas,
Arsenal will too MLS All-Stars Play July 19 in Washington, D.C.
Premier League's own “summer series” Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham, Brighton and Brentford will feature, with games in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando, New Jersey and Maryland.