FC Barcelona Win International Champions Cup


The fifth edition of the International Champions Cup is winding to a climax after Barcelona were crowned champions with a 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Earlier in July they had defeated Europa League holders Manchester United 1-0 and Serie A champions Juventus 2-1.

Zinedine Zidane's men conquered the Champions League and La Liga last season, but Lionel Messi and Co. got revenge with the first of at least five Clasicos in 2017-18 (two Supercopas and two league games to come).

With a footprint in both Asia and the United States, the annual pre-season ICC tournament involving Europe's top clubs taps into the huge fanbases that exist for those teams outside of their local markets.

It has drawn huge crowds and sees the clubs involved pocket significant appearance fees - rumoured to be worth up to $20 million - in addition to the longer-term commercial benefits of engaging with supporters across the globe.

The downside is the amount of travel involved, with many Premier League managers bemoaning their inability to hold a more focused training camp in one location due to their new international commitments.

The International Champions Cup is a pre-season tournament that has been held every summer since 2013. For the past two years, the ICC has been split into three different regions; the United States, China and Australia. In the two years prior to that, it was held exclusively in the USA.

In short, the ICC is a series of exhibition matches in three countries played in large stadiums. It begins on July 18 and ends on July 30, getting everyone back in Europe by the start of August as the competitive campaign looms.

Goal

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