Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures – a multi-national sports and entertainment venture firm with a focus on new technologies –announced today that current Spanish League leader FC Barcelona and current English Premier League leader Chelsea F.C. will face off on Tuesday, July 28 at FedExField in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness Beer. Kickoff for the contest is set for 8:00 PM ET.
"FedExField has become the No. 1 destination for American soccer fans to see the most prestigious teams in the world," Redskins Chief Marketing Officer Mitch Gershman said. "We take great pride in bringing such high-profile events to the Washington D.C. region."
Exclusive presale tickets for the FC Barcelona and Chelsea F.C. matchup will be available beginning Monday, May 4 at 10 AM ET while general public will have access to tickets Thursday, May 7 at 10 AM 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.
"This will be one of the best games of the entire International Champions Cup," said Charlie Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports. "Chelsea and Barcelona are two of the most well-known and respected clubs in the entire world and both are having outstanding seasons. Both teams have passionate fans bases and should make for an exciting atmosphere at FedExField."
The 2015 International Champions Cup North America will run from July 11 – August 5 and feature 17 matches played across 12 regions throughout the world. 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.
In total, 10 teams from across the globe, including England (Manchester United F.C., Chelsea F.C.), Portugal (FC Porto), France (Paris Saint-Germain), 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.
Nicknamed 'The Blues,' Chelsea Football Club consistently ranks among the best soccer clubs in the world. The first club to ever hold both the Champions League and Europa League titles at the time, Chelsea's iconic position as a central point of England's premiership continues to challenge the international soccer world.
Chelsea won the Champions League winners in 2012 and the Europa League in 2013. In total, Chelsea has won three English Premier League championships, seven FA Cup titles, five Football League Cup titles, two Cup Winners' Cup titles and a Super Cup. Chelsea has also invested in its future with a state-of-the-art Academy and training center in Cobham, Surrey. Since its opening in 2007, the club has reached six FA Youth Cup finals, lifting the trophy three times. Additionally, the Chelsea Foundation boasts one of the most extensive community initiatives in sport, working in 30 countries around the world, helping improve the lives of more than 900,000 children and young people each year.
"This match brings together two top European teams who have enjoyed a fantastic rivalry in recent years," said Carlo Cudicini, former Chelsea goalkeeper and current ream ambassador. "Both sides will go all out to win and I am sure it will be a close contest. The fans in DC are in for a treat."
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 22 league titles, 26 Copa Del Rey's and four 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 current FC Barcelona squad includes global soccer superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Neymar.
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. Further details about the 2015 International Champions Cup can be found at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
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