SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Soccer Champions Tour today announced the launch and schedule for a new series of games featuring six of the world’s most iconic soccer clubs to be played this summer in major markets across the United States. Spain’s Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Italy’s Juventus Football Club and AC Milan, and England’s Arsenal and Manchester United will compete in eight matches between Saturday, July 22, and Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
The 2023 Soccer Champions Tour is the first time these six clubs, which hold among them 31 European trophies, have participated together in a U.S. series. The eight fixtures will take place in host market stadiums in Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Francisco.
Highlights of the 2023 Soccer Champions Tour include Spanish giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona meeting in Texas for the first time ever at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys; Manchester United and Real Madrid facing off for the first time since 2018; FC Barcelona and Arsenal competing in a rematch of the 2006 European final; and Italian rivals AC Milan and Juventus playing each other in California for the first time in their more than 120-year histories.
Soccer Champions Tour was created by a newly formed company of global investment firm Sixth Street to support the continued global growth of top-tier sports franchises by organizing high-profile, competitive events for the millions of fans that live outside the domestic markets of the biggest clubs.
“We are proud to be partnering with the world’s most storied clubs, which have the world’s strongest and most passionate supporters, to provide this rare opportunity for American fans to experience the game at the highest level,” said Alan Waxman, Co-Founder and CEO at Sixth Street. “While this year’s tour consists of men’s clubs, we look forward to expanding next summer to bring the world’s best women’s clubs to local audiences around the globe, and in the future to evolve this series into a format with real games of consequence.”
In addition to men’s and women’s professional club matches, the tour also intends to organize elite youth academy competitions in the years to come.
Soccer Champions Tour is working closely with global premium experiences company Legends to bring these marquee matchups and elevated in-game experiences to local fans of the game.
Added Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO, Legends: “Legends is proud to bring fans of the beautiful game this unforgettable experience this summer and deliver a fan experience that will match the world-class soccer on the pitch. We can’t wait to see stadiums filled across the United States with fans cheering on some of the best clubs in the world as they compete in the Soccer Champions Tour."
The 2023 Soccer Champions Tour is being produced in partnership with AEG, the world's leading sports and live entertainment company.
“AEG is excited about the partnership with Soccer Champions Tour and Legends to bring the most successful soccer clubs in the world to fans across the U.S.,” said Tom Braun, Sr. Vice President, Soccer & Business Operations and Business Development at AEG. “Every matchup in this series is of the highest caliber and we’re thrilled that American soccer fans will have the opportunity to see these epic games featuring legendary teams live and in person.”
Soccer Champions Tour Schedule
Saturday, July 22
FC Barcelona vs. Juventus at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Sunday, July 23
Real Madrid vs. AC Milan at The Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Wednesday, July 26
Arsenal vs. FC Barcelona at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Wednesday, July 26
Real Madrid vs. Manchester United at NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Thursday, July 27
Juventus vs. AC Milan at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
Saturday, July 29
FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Tuesday, August 1
AC Milan vs. FC Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, August 2
Juventus vs. Real Madrid at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Exclusive pre-sale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, May 16, with the general on-sale ticket access beginning on Friday, May 19. For access to the pre-sale, all fans are invited to sign up at www.SoccerChampionsTour.com. All individual game and venue-specific information is also available at the tour website and fans can follow @TheSCTour on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for updates.
The matches remain subject to approval by the relevant football authorities.
The Clubs
AC Milan
AC Milan was founded in 1899 and it is one of the most iconic and successful clubs in football history. With an internationally recognized brand off the pitch, AC Milan is synonymous with style and elegance, embodied in the Rossoneri’s red and black jersey. On the pitch, AC Milan has the most international trophies of any Italian club with seven UEFA Champions League titles and five European Super Cups – also included in their trophy cabinet are 19 league titles (the latest of which was won at the end of last season). The club’s star players include Portuguese forward Rafael Leão, French left-back Theo Hernandez, Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and Canadian-born center-back Fikayo Tomori.
Arsenal
Commonly referred to as the Gunners, Arsenal is a London-based club founded in 1886 and is among the top clubs in the Premier League this season. The club has won 13 league titles and a record 14 FA Cups. Arsenal played in the first English League match to be broadcast live on radio in 1927 against Sheffield United. Ten years later, Arsenal played a split squad exhibition match which was the first football match in the world to be televised live. English wingers Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson, Brazilian center-back Gabriel Magalhaes, and Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus lead Arsenal’s star-studded squad.
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona, founded in 1899 and colloquially known as Barça, competes in La Liga and is one of the most successful European clubs in history. The club maintains a philosophy deeply rooted in its local Catalan identity and is collectively owned by more than 146,000 members. Due to its special personality, FC Barcelona is recognized as being ‘more than a club’. The team’s distinctive style of play is projected around the world by the best players and coaches in combination with the club’s famous reliance on homegrown talent. The club has won 73 major domestic titles, including 26 La Liga titles and 31 Copa Del Rey titles, as well as five Champions League titles and three FIFA Club World Cups. Barcelona is led by manager and club legend Xavi Hernández and has a roster of international talent including Spaniard midfielders Gavi and Pedri, Polish forward Robert Lewandowski and German goalkeeper Ter Stegen.
Juventus Football Club
Founded in 1897 in Turin, Italy, Juventus is one of Italy’s oldest and most decorated soccer teams with more Italian league championships than any other team. Also known as Juve, the club competes in Serie A, the top tier of the Italian soccer leagues, and is the first European club to win all three major UEFA competitions. The club’s current roster includes Brazilian defender Danilo, French midfielder Paul Pogba and Italian forward Federico Chiesa.
Manchester United
Based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and often referred to as the Red Devils or simply, United, Manchester United is one of the most widely supported soccer teams in the world. United is a winner of a record 20 league titles and have won every major trophy in England and Europe. They hold the record for the largest crowd at a soccer match in U.S. history with 109,318 fans for a 2014 match against Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium. Manchester United’s squad includes Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot, English left-back Luke Shaw, Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez, and Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro.
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid C.F. is a sports organization with over 121 years of history and was named “Best Club of the 20th Century” by FIFA. It is the club with the most European Cups in both football (14) and basketball (10). Real Madrid has millions of fans in all corners of the world, with more than 456 million followers on social media, and is for the fourth year in a row the most valuable football club in Europe according to The European Elite 2022 report. This past season, Real Madrid won La Liga (35) and the Spanish Super Cup (12) under the direction of Carlo Ancelotti. With stars like Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Júnior, and Toni Kroos among others, in 2022 Real Madrid won the Champions League for the fourteenth time.
The Venues
Allegiant Stadium
Located adjacent to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and home to the Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium is an award-winning global events destination. A state-of-the-art, multipurpose venue with a capacity of 65,000, Allegiant Stadium has hosted world-class music artists such as Garth Brooks, The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Taylor Swift and BTS with more legendary concerts to come. The fully enclosed stadium is also home to the UNLV Rebels football team and has hosted premier sporting events such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Pac-12 Championship Game, Las Vegas Bowl, and WWE SummerSlam. The venue also hosted the NFL Pro Bowl in both 2022 and 2023 and has been selected to host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. Allegiant Stadium is committed to giving back to the community through numerous diversity, inclusion, and community outreach initiatives.
AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. The stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof, and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show, and WrestleMania.
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium in Downtown Orlando has hosted a variety of world-class events, from the Electric Daisy Carnival to WrestleMania to the NFL Pro Bowl, alongside its signature annual events including the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Cheez-It Bowl, the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Cup. The Orlando match at Camping World Stadium will be hosted by the Florida Cup, the Sunshine State’s largest annual international soccer and music event. Since 2015, the Florida Cup & FC Series has featured clubs from all over the world. Last year, Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the headline match at Camping World Stadium, setting the venue’s soccer attendance record.
Dignity Health Sports Park
Dignity Health Sports Park is southern California’s home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes. Managed by AEG Facilities, the $150 million, privately financed facility was developed by AEG on a 125-acre site on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. Dignity Health Sports Park features a 25,174-seat stadium for soccer, football and other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts; an 8,000-seat tennis stadium; a 2,000-seat facility for track & field and a 2,450-seat indoor Velodrome – the VELO Sports Center – for track cycling. Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, the five-time MLS Cup Champions. Dignity Health Sports Park is also home of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) High Performance Training Center and the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Additionally, Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Galaxy Park, a newly imagined complex on the campus of the facility that features five 5v5 soccer fields, three futsal courts, eight Pickleball courts, four Padel courts, and is home to a number of other recreational activities.
Levi’s Stadium
Levi’s Stadium is a football stadium in Santa Clara, California which serves as the current home of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Levi’s Stadium is a multi-purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events, including domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and is expandable for major events such as Super Bowl 50 which was hosted here in February of 2016. The $1.27 billion venue has 1.85 million square feet, seats approximately 68,500 and features 176 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats.
NRG Stadium
NRG Park is the premier sports, convention, tradeshow/consumer show and entertainment complex located in Harris County, specifically Houston’s South Main corridor district. Four major facilities – NRG Stadium, NRG Center, NRG Arena and NRG Astrodome – encompass 350 acres and provide 26,000 parking spaces. NRG Park is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans, the Houston Livestock Show and RodeoTM, Super Bowl® XXXVIII & LI, WrestleMania® X-Seven & 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship South Regional 2008, 2010 & 2015, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four 2011, 2016 & 2023 and hosts over 500 events annually. In partnership with Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, NRG Stadium is a top venue for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cups.
The Rose Bowl Stadium
The Rose Bowl Stadium, also known as America’s Stadium, is an American outdoor athletic venue located in Pasadena, California nestled in the scenic Arroyo Seco. The Rose Bowl Stadium opened its doors on October 28, 1922 and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The Rose Bowl has earned its world-class reputation by hosting five NFL Super Bowl games, the 1984 Olympic Soccer matches, the 1994 Men’s World Cup, the 1999 Women’s World Cup, four BCS National College Football Championship Games and the College Football Playoff Semifinal Game. The Rose Bowl is the proud home of the World’s Largest Flea Market, AmericaFest 4th of July Celebration, community events, music festivals, world-class concerts, International and Premier League soccer matches, the annual Rose Bowl Game® and UCLA Bruins Football.
SoFi Stadium
SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Super Bowl LVI Champion Los Angeles Rams, is located at Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in Inglewood, California. The 3.1 million square-foot SoFi Stadium is the largest stadium in the NFL, as well as the first indoor-outdoor stadium. It seats approximately 70,000, expandable up to 100,000, with more than 260 luxury suites and more than 13,000 premium seats. SoFi Stadium was host to Super Bowl LVI in 2022, the College Football National Championship in 2023, WrestleMania in 2023, and will host the World Cup in 2026 and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 2028.
Media Assets
Click HERE for Soccer Champions Tour assets, including logo, schedule graphic, and video. Additional details about the event, including media accreditation for the Soccer Champions Tour, will be announced at a later date.
About Sixth Street
Sixth Street is a leading global investment firm with approximately $65 billion in assets under management and committed capital. The firm’s experience in global sports includes partnerships and investments with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, the San Antonio Spurs, and the National Women’s Soccer League expansion club coming to the Bay Area in 2024. Sixth Street is also the majority investor in Legends in partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees. Sixth Street uses its long-term flexible capital, data-enabled capabilities, and One Team culture to develop themes and offer solutions to companies across all stages of growth. Founded in 2009, Sixth Street has more than 500 team members including over 180 investment professionals operating around the world. For more information, visit www.sixthstreet.com, or follow Sixth Street on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Legends
Founded in 2008, Legends is a premium experiences company with six divisions operating worldwide – Global Planning, Global Sales, Global Partnerships, Hospitality, Global Merchandise, and Global Technology Solutions – offering clients and partners a 360-degree data and analytics fueled service solution platform to elevate their brand and execute their vision. Currently, Legends works with marquee clients across business verticals including professional sports; collegiate; attractions; entertainment; and conventions and leisure. We are the industry leaders in designing, planning, and realizing exceptional experiences in sports and entertainment. For more information, visit www.Legends.net and follow @TheLegendsWay on Twitter and Instagram.
About AEG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: Facilities, which through its affiliation with ASM Global, owns, manages or consults with more than 300 preeminent arenas, stadiums, convention centers and performing arts venues around the world; Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Crypto.com Arena, L.A. LIVE, Mercedes Platz in Berlin, Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai and The O2 in London; Sports, as the world's largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin; Ticketing through AXS, a global platform delivering ticketing solutions for venues of all sizes, sports franchises and event organizers; and Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 160 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.
