AFP, Miami :
The new La Liga season is still weeks away, but try telling Miami that Saturday night’s El Clasico at a sold-out Hard Rock Stadium is meaningless.
For the first time in over 35 years, Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet on foreign soil. It’s also the first encounter between the two sides in the United States.
Back in 1982, the match staged post-season in Venezuela, coming just before that year’s World Cup, was so nondescript it wasn’t even shown on television in Europe.
Fast forward to 2017, however, and this encounter has morphed into a huge global event which has gripped a soccer-mad city and ensured the now annual International Champions Cup exhibition tournament will remain a permanent fixture on the sporting calendar for years to come.
