Top domestic football leagues around the world have not yet kicked off, and teams are gearing up for International Champions Cup 2016, which is a pre-season competition. Top teams from around the world including Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Paris-Saint-Germain along with other clubs will make this competition a high-profile one.
Matches are set to be played across Australia, China, the United States and Europe and expect the crowd to pour out in numbers to watch star players, representing their respective clubs. The tournament has been immensely popular, and with the games played in huge stadiums, the atmosphere will be brilliant. Imagine a full crowd at the Rose Bowl in California or Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
The International Champions Cup 2016 kicks off with Manchester United taking on Borussia Dortmund at Shanghai Stadium in China on Friday. The tournament ends on Aug.13. But this is just one of those matches, which will be watched with utmost importance. Imagine the atmosphere when United takes on Manchester City in Beijing, Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid (New Jersey), Liverpool vs Barcelona (London).
Though it may be dubbed as a friendly competition, there is plenty of stake for such quality teams, who hate to lose, and especially against their rivals. Quality performance in this tournament will only do their confidence a world of good ahead of their domestic competition.
Managers will also use this competition to test some of their new signings, who will be keen to impress, and show that they are ready for the club. Likewise, the bosses are set to try different formation, and see how their respective teams feature against quality sides.
International Champions Cup 2016 schedule
China schedule
July 22: Manchester United vs Borussia Dortmund - Shanghai Stadium, China - 8 CST (5:30 p.m IST)
July 25: Manchester City vs Manchester United – National Stadium, Beijing – 7:30 CST (5 p.m IST)
July 28: Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester City - Longgang Stadium, Shenzhen - 7 CST (4:30 p.m IST)
Australia schedule
July 23: Melbourne Victory vs Juventus - Melbourne Cricket Ground- 7:30 AEST ( 2:30 p.m IST)
July 26: Juventus vs Tottenham – Melbourne Cricket Ground - 8 p.m AEST (3 p.m IST)
July 29: Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid - Melbourne Cricket Ground - 8 p.m AEST (3 p.m IST)
USA/Europe schedule
July 23: Celtic vs Leicester City – Celtic Park, Glasgow – 5:30 p.m BST (10 p.m IST)
July 24: Inter Milan vs PSG – Autzen Stadium, Eugene – 2 pm PDT ( 2:30 a.m IST)
July 27: Real Madrid vs PSG – Ohio Stadium, Columbus – 7:30 p.m EDT (5a.m IST)
July 27: Bayern Munich vs AC Milan – Soldier Field, Chicago – 8 p.m PDT (8:30 a.m IST)
July 27: Chelsea vs Liverpool – Rose Bowl, California - 8 p.m PDT (8:30 a.m IST)
July 30: Barcelona vs Celtic – Aviva Stadium, Dublin 6 p.m Ireland Standard time (10:30 p.m IST)
July 30: Real Madrid vs Chelsea – Michigan Stadium – 3 pm EDT (12:30 a.m IST)
July 30: Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, - 5 pm EDT (2:30 a.m IST)
July 30: Liverpool vs AC Milan – Levi's Satdium, California – 7 p.m PDT (7:30 a.m IST)
July 30: PSG vs Leicester City -StubHub Centre, 8:30 p.m PDT (9 a.m IST)
August 3: Barcelona vs Leicester City - Friend Arena, Stockholm- 8 p.m CEST (11:30 p.m IST)
August 3: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid – Metlife Stadium – 7:30 p.m EDT ( 5 a.m IST)
August 3: AC Milan vs Chelsea - Bank Stadium, Minneapolis - 8 p.m CDT ( 6:30 a.m IST)
August 6: Liverpool vs Barcelona - Wembley, London, 5:15 p.m BST (9:45 p.m IST)
August 13: Inter Milan vs Celtic - Thomond Park, Limerick – 7 pm Ireland Standard time (11:30 p.m IST)
TV listings: India: Sony ESPN. The UK: Sky Sports. The US: ESPN. Spain:Canal+ Liga, TV3 Italy: Mediaset Premium. Germany: Sport 1 Australia: Nine Network, Optus Sport. China: Le TV. France: beIN Sports. Middle East and North Africa: beIN Sports
