European giants FC Bayern Munich and F.C. Internazionale will face off at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, July 30 as part of the 2016 International Champions Cup. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.
It will mark the third consecutive year the International Champions Cup will come to Charlotte after two successful matches that each drew more than 60,000 fans. In 2014, Liverpool F.C. defeated A.C. Milan 2-0. Last year, Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in penalty kicks in a rematch of the Round of 16 in Champions League.
Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts said last year's match had an $18.7 million impact on the region.
"We are so happy that international soccer is coming back to the Queen City," Roberts said at a press conference officially announcing the matchup. "We hope that Charlotte will continue to shine under the international spotlight."
Exclusive presale tickets for the matchup will be available beginning March 29 at 10 a.m., while general public will have access to tickets on April 5. General ticket information is available at www.internationalchampionscup.com, where fans can sign up to get access to the presale.
"We decided to come to Charlotte for the third consecutive year, and to be honest, it really was not a difficult decision at all," said David Tyler, CEO of Relevent Sports. "This is a premier host destination for us. Bringing the International Champions Cup here year-on-year is something I really hope we can carry on. The last two years, the games here have demonstrated the strong passion for world class soccer here in Charlotte." The 2016 International Champions Cup will run from July 23–August 13 and will feature 10 teams from around the globe – including the four that previously competed in Charlotte – playing in matches across the United States and throughout the world. Each team will play three 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.
Founded in 1900, FC Bayern München is considered one of the top football clubs in the world, having won 25 German league titles and 27 domestic titles overall. In addition to its domestic success, the club has won five Champions League titles and has reached at least the semifinal round of the competition each of the previous four years.
F.C. Internazionale Milano, popularly known as Inter, is one of the most famous clubs in world football. Since its foundation in 1908, it has always played in the Italian league Serie A and has captured 18 league titles, three European Cups/UEFA Champions League, two Intercontinental Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup, three UEFA Cups, seven Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups.
