Clasico Miami is the biggest soccer match ever played in South florida
Technically, it is just a summer exhibition soccer match.
In fact, El Clasico Miami, the Saturday night clash between Spanish archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid (minus Ronaldo) is the biggest soccer game ever played in South Florida — and one of the most-hyped ever on U.S. soil. It is the first Clasico outside Europe in 35 years and second in the 235 times they have met since 1929.
That explains why fans in FC Barcelona jerseys were perched high in the trees and atop pickup trucks and vans, trying to get a better view of global superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as they practiced behind fences at Barry University on Thursday night.
And why 32,300 fans paid $20 to $30 (plus parking) to watch their favorite players stretch, dribble around cones and scrimmage at the teams’ open training sessions at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.
It is why soccer fans worldwide were so curious as to whether Ronaldo was going to show up. Turns out, he is not. He told event organizers Friday afternoon that he deeply regretted it but could not squeeze the trip into his busy summer schedule.
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Soccer fans try to catch a glimpse of FC Barcelona players as they enter Hard Rock Stadium for practice on Fri., July 28, 2017.
Bryan Cereijo BCereijo@MiamiHerald.com
And it explains why an expected-sellout crowd of 64,767 paid between $240 and $3,500 per ticket to witness the latest edition of the Spanish grudge match, including fans from all across the United States and more than 50 countries.
“There is no such thing as a friendly Clasico,” FC Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto said Friday afternoon, sitting on the 38th floor of the East Hotel, admiring a waterfront view that included the Mandarin Oriental, where Real Madrid is staying just across Brickell Avenue.
“Even though this is not for points or a Cup, every time there’s a Clasico, both teams want to win very badly,” Roberto said. “We are going into this game to win, and the players will give 100 percent. It’s very important for us and to our fans. This rivalry has a lot of history and emotion, and we take it seriously.”
It is a rivalry that transcends sports, with Real Madrid a symbol of Spain’s capital and establishment, and FC Barcelona representing the Catalonia region, which has its own culture, language and has sought independence for many years.
According to the Forbes 2017 list of world’s most valuable sports teams, Barcelona ($3.64 billion) and Real Madrid ($3.58 billion) rank No. 4 and 5 behind the Dallas Cowboys ($4.2 billion), New York Yankees ($3.7 billion), and Manchester United ($3.69 billion).
The TV audience for the most recent El Clasico matches was 400 million. The Super Bowl draws 160 million viewers.
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FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi practices free kicks during an open practice at Hard Rock Stadium
