NEW YORK — MLS and CAA announced Friday that they are teaming to bring back the World Football Challenge, featuring some of the biggest and best-known soccer clubs from around the world.
And this time there'll be a local flavor, as MLS clubs will take part.
“We are pleased to have MLS clubscompete in this summer’s World FootballChallenge, and our teams embrace the challenge of competing against topinternational opponents,” said Will Wilson, MLS executive vice president. “We have worked closely with CAA Sports in thepast and are proud to partner with them to produce this innovative event forsoccer fans throughout the region.”
The tournament will run from July 14 through August 6. The competing teams, schedule, format, eventsponsors and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. Televisa, a founding partner of the inauguralWorld Football Challenge, will remaininvolved in 2011.
“By all measures, the inaugural World Football Challenge was a bigsuccess: introducing some of the top international clubs and players toexisting and new American fans of soccer, multiple sold-out matches, blue-chipsponsors and a world-class broadcast partner in ESPN,” said Michael Levine,co-head of CAA Sports.
“We are thrilledto team up with our friends at Major League Soccer, who have done an incrediblejob elevating awareness and building enthusiasm for soccer in the US, toamplify the fan experience and bring some of the brightest stars and biggestteams together in the World FootballChallenge.”
The inaugural version of the tournament took place in 2009 and featured Serie A clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan, English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC and Mexican giants Club América. The teams played a round-robin format in six cities at stadiums including the Rose Bowl, the Georgia Dome, MT&TBank Stadium, Gillette Stadium, Stanford Stadium and Cowboys Stadium.
CAA Sports is a division of Creative ArtistsAgency, the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency.
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