LOS ANGELES — The International Champions Cup, a summer tournament founded by the Relevent Sports Group and international soccer executive Charlie Stillitano, regularly brought as many as eight top European clubs to the U.S. for a series of exhibitions before the competition was suspended two years ago because of COVID-19.
With the pandemic fading, Relevent will stage a four-team women's ICC in August in Portland, Ore. But the men's competition has yet to return. So on Friday, AEG, a major sports and entertainment producer and the parent company of the Galaxy, announced it was stepping into the void with a five-team, nine-day summer tour headlined by Real Madrid, the newly minted Champions League winner.
Real Madrid will play three games, ending with a July 30 date with Italy's Juventus at the Rose Bowl. Also participating is Spanish giant Barcelona and Mexico's two most popular teams, Club América and Chivas de Guadalajara.
The tour will kick off July 22 with Juventus meeting América at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Real Madrid will play Barcelona the next day in the same stadium, marking just their fourth meeting outside Europe and their second in the U.S. Barcelona beat Real Madrid on penalty kicks in an ICC game in South Florida in 2017.
Barcelona and Real Madrid were scheduled to meet in one of the first sports events at SoFi Stadium in August 2020, but that game was canceled due to the pandemic.
Real Madrid will then face América at San Francisco's Oracle Park on July 26 with Barcelona playing Juventus at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on the same day before the tour concludes with Real Madrid-Juventus in Pasadena. The July tour will mark the first appearances in the U.S. by Real Madrid and Barcelona since 2019. Juventus last played here in 2018.
Barcelona is scheduled to play two additional friendlies with MLS teams during its U.S. visit, facing Inter Miami on July 19 and the New York Red Bulls on July 30.
For the two Mexican teams, the exhibitions will be a warm-up for the Leagues Cup exhibitions at SoFi on Aug. 3, when the Galaxy will play Chivas and América will face LAFC. América is also scheduled to play Chelsea on July 16 in Las Vegas.
"Following several years without seeing some of these teams in the United States, we are thrilled to provide the opportunity for soccer fans in the U.S. to once again watch their favorite European and Mexican clubs play in person," Tom Braun, the senior vice president of soccer and business operations for AEG, said in a statement.
Tickets for all five AEG-sponsored games will go on sale to the general public June 17. Fans can register for a Wednesday presale at SoccerChampionsTour.com.
The Women's ICC, meanwhile, will feature the Portland Thorns, the NWSL Challenge Cup winner in 2021; Liga MX Apertura champion Monterrey; Lyon, the reigning European champion; and Chelsea, the Women's Super League and FA Cup winner.
Portland beat Lyon, 1-0, in the WICC final last summer.
The tournament will take place Aug. 17-20 at Portland's Providence Park and will consist of four matches played as two doubleheaders. On the first match day, Lyon will meet Chelsea and the Thorns will play Monterrey. The winners will meet in the final Aug. 20 with the first match-day losers playing in a third-place game the same day.
Tickets will go on sale on the ICC website later this month.
