Two major European soccer crews will be facing off in Miami later this summer.
FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli will play at Hard Rock Stadium on Aug. 7 as a major aspect of a two-game series being played in the United States. The second game will be played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be facing FC Barcelona in the U.S. this summer,” SSC Napoli Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis said in a statement released by Relevant Sports Group.
“Our clubs hasn’t been to the U.S. in over 30 years, and to have the opportunity to reintroduce SSC Napoli to the American market in this historic matchup against a world class club is huge for us.”
Both clubs have been very effective in their separate classes. FC Barcelona, which highlights international soccer legend Lionel Messi, has won LaLiga 26 times and taken home five Champions League titles.
Napoli is a standout amongst the most outstanding clubs from Italy, having won the nation’s Serie A league twice and the Coppa Italia five times.
The game being had in Miami is impact of another competition between the groups’ two leagues. The LaLiga-Serie A Cup will happen every year and highlight a two-game series between groups from restricting leagues.
“LaLiga has recognized the importance of international expansion, especially in the United States, which is why we have dedicated significant resources through our joint venture with Relevent Sports Group,” LaLiga president Javier Tebasn said in a statement.
“The creation of the LaLiga-Serie A Cup is in line with our mission to create more opportunities for U.S. fans to celebrate LaLiga and we look forward to this new annual tradition to bring our clubs to America each summer.”
This won’t be FC Barcelona’s first trip to Miami. The club previously played at Hard Rock Stadium in 2017, when they defeated arch-rival Real Madrid, 3-2.