First ICC Match To Take Place At Wembley Stadium with Two Historic Clubs
Additional Matches to Take Place Across Globe Including Chicago, Los Angeles Area, Eugene, Columbus, Charlotte, Glasgow, New York, Minneapolis, Dublin, and Stockholm
Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures – a multi-national sports and entertainment venture firm with a focus on new technologies –announced today that La Liga champions FC Barcelona and English giants Liverpool F.C. will meet on Saturday, August 6 at Wembley Stadium Connected by EE in London, England as part of the 2016 International Champions Cup Presented by Heineken (ICC).
The home of the English national team, Wembley Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in all of sports and hosts some of the world’s most prominent football matches. FC Barcelona and Liverpool F.C. playing a match in the famed stadium highlights the continued growth of the ICC and its commitment to putting the best teams on the pitch.
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.
“Barcelona and Liverpool are two of the biggest football clubs in the world,” said Charlie Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports. “The ability to have these two powerhouse clubs compete is what the ICC is all about and truly an honour. Bringing these clubs and the ICC to Wembley Stadium is an incredible mark of the growth of tournament in only four years.”
The 2016 International Champions Cup North America will run from July 23 – August 13 and play across the United States and throughout the world. Each team will play three matches and the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion. Each win after 90-minutes will result in three points and a draw will go straight to a penalty shootout; the winning team in a penalty shootout will receive two points and the losing team will receive one.
In total, 10 teams from around the globe, including England (Liverpool, Chelsea F.C. Leicester City), Italy (AC Milan, Inter Milan), France (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.), Spain (Barcelona, Real Madrid), Germany (Bayern Munich) and Scotland (Celtic F.C.) will compete in the 2016 International Champions Cup. This year’s International Champions Cup features the most storied and successful clubs in the world, including many of the world’s top players. The ten participating teams have won a total of 190 domestic league titles, 246 domestic cup titles and 36 UEFA Champions League titles. The teams feature 18 of the 2015-2016 FIFA Ballon d’Or nominees, as well as 50 of the top 100 players in the world as chosen yearly by renowned English magazine FourFourTwo.
“The game against Liverpool is an attractive one for the fans,” added Robert Fernández, Technical Secretary for FC Barcelona’s First Team. “We are up against one of the most famous teams in European football and in a venue such as Wembley Stadium that so special for Barça fans. For us it will be a demanding game during our preparations for the season against a team who, with the arrival of Jürgen Klopp, have regained the ambition, dynamism and intensity in their football that has always been their trademark.”
Founded in 1899, FC Barcelona is one of the most iconic soccer clubs in the world. With some of the greatest players in soccer history, Barcelona has won 23 league titles, 27 Copa Del Rey titles and five UEFA Champions League titles. In 2009, Barcelona performed the extraordinary feat of winning all six major trophies they were competing for, winning La Liga, Copa Del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Between 2008 and 2012, Barcelona won two Champions League trophies, three league titles and a World Club Cup title. The Spanish club added to their already illustrious trophy cabinet by winning the ever-elusive treble during the 2014-2015 season; winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the crown jewel of European football – The Champions League. The current FC Barcelona squad includes global soccer superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Andrés Iniesta, Ivan Rakitić and Gerard Pique. For more information on Barcelona, please visit www.fcbarcelona.com.
“What an incredible game to round off such a high profile tournament and all set under the iconic Wembley arch,” ex-player and Liverpool Club Ambassador Gary McAllister concluded. “I’m sure this game will be a great spectacle for Reds fans and football fans in general – I can’t wait.”
Founded in 1892, Liverpool FC is one of the world’s most famous football clubs. Having won 18 League Titles, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups, five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, three European Super Cups and 15 Charity Shields; they remain one of England’s most illustrious clubs. Their five European championships are tied for third, only behind Real Madrid (10) and AC Milan (7), both of whom are also participating in the International Champions Cup. Liverpool FC has one of the best records in all of European football and has more top-flight wins than any other English team. For more information on the Reds, please visit www.Liverpoolfc.com.
In 2016, the ICC will once again be played across the globe, including standalone tournaments in both China and Australia. Clubs participating in the Australia are Juventus F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Atletico de Madrid and Melbourne Victor F.C. Competing in China will be Manchester United and Manchester City, playing the first Manchester derby to be held outside of England, as well as Borussia Dortmund.
