The eyes of the sporting world will be locked on Melbourne once more when Europe’s top football clubs take to the MCG for the International Champions Cup.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren today joined legends of the competing clubs on the hallowed turf to launch the countdown to the July tournament, which boosts tourism, jobs and growth.
English Premier League title chance Tottenham Hotspur will join Italian giant Juventus and Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the tournament, which will feature hometown A-League champions Melbourne Victory for the first time.
Last year, more than 220,000 fans packed the great arena to watch the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Real Madrid take on Manchester City and AS Roma over three action-packed nights.
The blockbuster finale between Real Madrid and Manchester City attracted an astonishing 99,832 fans.
The Andrews Labor Government delivers the International Champions Cup because it’s another date on our world-class calendar of events that attracts visitors to Victoria from all over the world.
Last year, we secured exclusive rights to the tournament for another three years, ensuring a $150 million boost to Victoria’s economy.
The International Champions Cup is where the world’s most decorated football clubs fine tune ahead of their domestic campaigns – and they take the hit out seriously.
Fans from all over the globe tune in to monitor their team’s pre-season progress, beaming images of Melbourne right around the world.
Victoria sets the standard when it comes to major events, and we want to remain number one. We’ve added an extra $80 million to our war chest for events, so that the biggest and best events head the way of the state that does them best.
The International Champions Cup begins on July 23 when Melbourne Victory takes on Juventus.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren
“We’ve got three of European football’s biggest clubs headed to Melbourne, because the biggest names belong at the world’s best venue.”
“The International Champions Cup isn’t just a great sporting spectacle, it’s a big boost to Victorian jobs and our local businesses.”
“Our visitors keep our bars and restaurants busy, our hotels full and our economy strong. That’s why we’re working hard to grow our world-class calendar of major events.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020