NEW YORK (April 28, 2015) – Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures – a multi-national sports and entertainment venture firm with a focus on new technologies – today announced the matchups, venues and dates of the 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness. This year’s tournament will be broadcast live on FOX, FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2 and run from July 11 – August 5.
The 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness will feature the best clubs in the world competing across 12 regions in Canada, Mexico, England, Italy and the United States. One year after winning the largest attended soccer match in United States history, Manchester United will face another Spanish giant, Barcelona, at Levi’s Stadium in one of the premier games of the tournament. Another matchup will feature the current English Premier League leader, Chelsea, facing current Spanish League leader Barcelona at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. Chelsea will also face French League leader Paris Saint-Germain at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, a rematch of the Champions League round of 16.
“These matchups speak to the immense success and quality of the International Champions Cup,” said Charlie Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports. “Not only are three of the quarter-finalists for the Champions League participating, but the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain finish in the round of 16 was spectacular. Showcasing this rematch, along with the multitude of other high quality and competitive contests, is truly exciting and shows these games are more than just friendlies.”
Each team will play four contests and the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion. Each win in regulation will result in three points and a tie will go straight to a shootout; the winning team in a shootout will receive two points and the losing team will receive one. The results from in-season Major League Soccer contests involving tournament participants will be used as part of official tournament scoring.
The ICC will be played across two continents, as games will be held at Stamford Bridge in London, Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence and multiple iconic venues throughout North America.
"The 2015 International Champions Cup North America will be an international affair,” said Matt Higgins, CEO of RSE Ventures. “Multiple matches in two continents with the best clubs in the world demonstrates the demand for our property both in the United States and abroad. We expect to see more fans, more excitement and more sell-outs than ever before.”
In total, 10 teams from around the globe, including England (Manchester United F.C., Chelsea F.C.), Portugal (FC Porto), France (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.), Mexico (Club América), Spain (Barcelona), Italy (ACF Fiorentina) and the United States (San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls) will compete in the 2015 International Champions Cup North America. The participating teams have won a total of 91 domestic league titles, 98 domestic cup titles, six CONCACAF Champions League titles and 10 UEFA Champions League titles. The teams feature nine of the 2014-2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees, as well as 31 of the top 100 players in the world as chosen yearly by renowned English magazine FourFourTwo.
Following is a list of the schedule of the tournament:
Saturday, July 11
- Club América vs. Los Angeles Galaxy – StubHub Center; Carson, California. 11:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 14
- Club América vs. San Jose Earthquakes – Avaya Stadium; San Jose, California. 10:30 p.m. EST
Friday, July 17
- Club América vs. Manchester United F.C. – CenturyLink Field; Seattle, Washington. 11 p.m. EST
Saturday, July 18
- FC Porto vs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – BMO Field; Toronto, Canada. 8:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 21
- Los Angeles Galaxy vs. FC Barcelona – Rose Bowl; Los Angeles, California. 11 p.m. EST
- Paris Saint-Germain F.C. vs. ACF Fiorentina – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 8:30 p.m. EST
- Manchester United F.C. vs. San Jose Earthquakes – To Be Announced.
Wednesday, July 22
- Chelsea F.C. vs. New York Red Bulls – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 8 p.m. EST
Friday, July 24
- ACF Fiorentina vs. FC Porto – Rentschler Field; Hartford, Connecticut. 8 p.m. EST
Saturday July 25
- Manchester United F.C. vs. F.C. Barcelona – Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, California. 4 p.m. EST
- Paris Saint-Germain F.C. vs. Chelsea F.C. – Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, North Carolina. 6 p.m. EST
Sunday, July 26
- FC Porto vs. New York Red Bulls – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 7:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 28
- FC Barcelona vs. Chelsea F.C. – FedEx Field; Washington D.C. 8 p.m. EST
- Club América vs. FC Porto – Estadio Azteca; Mexico City, Mexico. 10 p.m. EST
Wednesday, July 29
- Manchester United F.C. vs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – Solider Field; Chicago, Illinois. 9 p.m. EST
Sunday, August 2
- ACF Fiorentina vs. FC Barcelona – Stadio Artemio Franchi; Florence, Italy. 1 p.m. EST
Wednesday, August 5
- Chelsea F.C. vs. ACF Fiorentina – Stamford Bridge; London, England. 3 p.m. EST
Exclusive presale tickets for most matchups will be available beginning Monday, May 4 at 10AM ET while general public will have access to tickets Thursday, May 7 at 10AM ET. Fans can sign up at www.internationalchampionscup.com for access to the presale. All venue-specific and other ticket information is available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
"These matchups showcase the popularity and growth of soccer in the United States,” said David Tyler, CEO of Relevent Sports. “Our tournament has expanded to include 17 games with top-tier clubs competing in iconic venues. Soccer is only going to continue to grow domestically and we are thrilled to be at the forefront.”
In 2015, the International Champions Cup will expand into new continents, as both China and Australia will host versions of the tournament during the summer. A.C. Milan, Inter Milan and Real Madrid will play in the International Champions Cup China in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai that runs from July 25- July 29. Real Madrid, Manchester City and AS Roma will play in the International Champions Cup Australia in Melbourne from July 18-24, providing even more fans from around the world the opportunity to see their favorite clubs live.
