Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid will play against the MLS all-stars in Chicago Aug. 2. (Winslow Townson/USA Today Sports)
Real Madrid is coming to the Windy City.
Major League Soccer Saturday announced that reigning UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid will face the MLS all-stars in the league all-star game at Soldier Field in Chicago Aug 2 at 9 p.m. ET. The game will air on FS1, UniMás, TSN and TVA Sports domestically as well as in 170 countries globally.
Real Madrid is one of the most successful clubs in the world, having claimed a record 32 La Liga championships and 11 UEFA Champions League crown, as well as capturing the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup on multiple occasions.
Under the direction of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos sit atop the La Liga table and are in the quarterfinals of the 2016-2017 UEFA Champions League. The club is home to internationally renowned stars such as four-time Ballon d’Or recipient Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and four-time La Liga Best Defender Sergio Ramos.
This will mark the first time a team from Spain’s La Liga will appear in the all-star game. The MLS stars have faced clubs from the England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, Mexico’s Liga MX and the Scottish Premier League, owning an 8-4-1 record against some of the world’s most decorated clubs.
Chicago Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic will coach the MLS all-stars.
“It is an honor to represent Major League Soccer and to work with our League’s great players in a match against one of the top clubs in the word,” he said. “I know how special it is to compete against Real Madrid and I think our players and fans will also enjoy the experience.”
Soldier Field has a capacity of 61,500.
