A match between La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid in Texas revealed plans for a six-team summer tour of the United States, which also includes Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester United and AC Milan, it was announced Friday.
Dubbed the Football Champions Tour, the matches will consist of eight matches starting July 22 and ending August 2 and will be played in the Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco markets.
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ESPN reported earlier this week about the plans to Classico Match July 29 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Barcelona and Madrid both keen to continue their growth in North America.
Investment firm Sixth Street is jointly supporting the tour with Legends – a global sports and live experience company in which Sixth Street holds a majority stake – along with global entertainment company AEG, owner of MLS side LA Galaxy.
said Alan Waxman, co-founder and CEO of Sixth Street.
as well ClassicoMadrid will also play Manchester United in Houston on July 26, and Barcelona will take on Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in Englewood, California. Among other highlights, Italian Serie A rivals AC Milan and Juventus will meet on July 27 at the LA Galaxy’s home ground at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Legends CEO Shervin Mirhashmi added: “Legends is proud to bring fans of the beautiful game such an unforgettable experience this summer and deliver a fan experience that matches world-class football on the pitch. We can’t wait to see stadiums packed across the US with Supporting fans of some of the best clubs in the world as they compete in the Football Champions Tour.”
“Every game in this series is of the highest caliber and we’re thrilled that American soccer fans will have the opportunity to watch these epic games featuring legendary teams live and in person,” said AEG’s Senior Vice President of Football, Commercial Operations and Business Development, Thom Browne.
Waxman added that the plan is to expand the tour next summer to include women’s club teams, as well as youth teams at a later date and “evolve the series into a format with real games”.
Sixth Street has made significant investments in football in recent years, including a 30% stake in the operations of Real Madrid’s stadium and a 25% stake in Barcelona’s LaLiga television rights. The company recently acquired an expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League, to be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Several of the teams involved in Friday’s announcement have additional matches in the US this summer, including Manchester United’s clash with Wrexham in San Diego on July 25, and Arsenal’s clash with the MLS All-Stars in Washington, D.C., on July 19. .
Football champions tour schedule
Saturday 22nd July
Barcelona vs. Juventus at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Sunday 23 July
Real Madrid vs. AC Milan at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Wed 26 Jul
Arsenal vs Barcelona at Sophie Stadium, Englewood, California
Wed 26 Jul
Real Madrid vs Manchester United at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Thursday 27 July
Juventus vs. AC Milan at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
Saturday 29 July
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Tuesday 1st August
AC Milan vs Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Wed 2 Aug
Juventus vs Real Madrid at Camping World Stadium, Orlando
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