Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid to light up National Stadium for International Champions Cup

SINGAPORE — Brazil’s football superstar Neymar is set to bring his samba magic to the National Stadium in July, with the Paris Saint-German (PSG) forward expected to travel here with teammates Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria for the 2018 International Champions Cup (ICC).

Event organisers Relevent and Catalyst Media Group announced on Tuesday (April 17) the three-team lineup for the second edition of the ICC here, which will see top European teams Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and PSG facing off on July 26-28.

Boasting the likes of Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid will kick off the tournament on July 26 against English Premier League club Arsenal in a repeat of their Europa League clashes. Both teams are due to face off in the Europa League semi-finals on April 27 and May 4, before travelling to Singapore two months later.

Freshly-minted French champions PSG will make its first visit to the Republic, as the seven-time Ligue 1 winners play Arsenal on July 28.

Fans at the final match on July 30 will get the rare opportunity to catch the clash between PSG and Atletico Madrid in what will be only the clubs’ second meeting in their history.

This year’s ICC will see the tournament taking on a new global format, with 18 of the world’s top football clubs playing 27 matches across the United States, Europe, and Asia — with Singapore the only stop on the continent.

This time, instead of crowning a winner for each participating continent, this year’s ICC will see one overall champion crowned for 2018.

One of the biggest football tournaments in the region, the inaugural ICC at the National Stadium which featured Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan drew close to 105,000 fans last year. The event is part of a four-year deal (2017 to 2020) between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Catalyst Media Group.

“The support we witnessed in Singapore at the International Champions Cup last year was phenomenal, and we are excited to return to the National Stadium as this year’s only Asian stop in a revamped global tournament format,” said Mr Patrick Murphy, chairman and president of Catalyst Media Group.

“We are committed to bringing the best of football to the people here and look forward to working with the Singapore Tourism Board to grow and create exclusive experiences for the fans in Singapore and the region.”

Ms Melissa Ow, STB’s deputy chief executive, said: “We are pleased to be the only Asia-Pacific stop of the revamped International Champions Cup this year, making Singapore an attractive destination for fans within and beyond Asia this July. “Together with our partners, we are committed to delivering a memorable event experience for fans and our visitors.”

Legends from the three clubs — Robert Pires of Arsenal, Jose Luis Caminero (Atletico), and Maxwell Scherrer (PSG) — were in Singapore on Tuesday to launch the ICC, and announce its July fixtures.

Mediacorp will return as the Official Broadcaster, and will be screening all 2018 ICC matches “live” on its digital entertainment service Toggle. Mediacorp channel oktoSports will also carry “live” screenings of all three Singapore matches, as well as selected ICC fixtures.

Ticket sales for the 2018 International Champions Cup in Singapore will go on sale to the public on April 30, 10am, at www.sportshub.com.sg, Sports Hub box offices and other locations.

For more information, visit www.internationalchampionscup.sg.

2018 International Champions Cup Singapore fixtures:

July 26, Thursday — Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal

July 28, Saturday — Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain

July 30, Monday — Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid

* All matches will be played at the National Stadium