European Soccer Clubs Bring Their Talents to Philadelphia

Article written by Kyle Purchase on behalf of Global Philadelphia Association

On July 25th, I had the privilege of being part of a once-in-a lifetime experience. I got the chance to watch my favorite soccer club, FC Bayern München, play at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. In front of a crowd of over 30,000 fans, the 28-time German Bundesliga champions played another distinguished soccer club, Juventus FC, who are 34-time champions of the Italian Serie A competition. The teams were playing as part of an international exhibition tournament called the International Champions Cup. 

It was exciting to see the amazing talent these two clubs bring to the game. Additionally, there was buzz around this game due to the recent player acquisition made by Juventus. The transferring and signing of world soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Juventus made headlines internationally, and soccer analysts and pundits were making predictions for Juventus’ future success with Ronaldo in the squad. Although Ronaldo did not play in this match, Juventus brought the talent and won 2-0.

While FC Bayern-München and Juventus FC are fierce rivals in European competitions, like the UEFA Champions League, and can sometimes get ugly with tackles, fouls, and red cards, the clubs also have mutual respect for their talent, team history, and the sportsmanship found in the game of soccer (or football).

Bayern was also missing some of their prominent players during this game because, after recently playing in the World Cup, a few team members went on vacation.

During their visit to Philadelphia, Bayern took a tour of the city before their game, and set time aside to give their fans an opportunity to get a picture with the Meisterschale, the Bundesliga trophy!

The opportunity for Philadelphia to host an international sporting event like this one is a great way to promote tourism and celebrate some of the diverse cultures that are prominent throughout our city. For example, we honor Italian and German heritage in Philadelphia at the Italian Market, (also made famous by the scene in the 1976 Oscar winning-film, Rocky), the German Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Oktoberfest events in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has a strong soccer culture and following of international clubs, as well as even supporting their own domestic team, Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union. Coupled with the fact that the United States will be co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Canada and México, this recent event goes to show that Philadelphia presents a strong case in being a fantastic choice as a venue to host future games.