Cup leaders pleased to play in Orlando

Heading into its fifth year of existence, the International Champions Cup is coming to the City Beautiful for the first time.

Camping World Stadium will host French side Paris Saint Germain and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on July 22. There were several factors that played a role in getting a game to Orlando.

“Orlando ticked all of the boxes for us,” said Relevant Sports CEO David Tyler, whose group is organizing the tournament. “We’ve been away from Florida for a couple of years, so we’re very keen to come back.

“One thing we have to bear in mind is we’re bringing clubs over and fans also coming from other parts of the U.S. and other countries to come and see those clubs, and everyone loves coming to Florida, everyone loves coming to Orlando . . . so it was a no-brainer.

“We want to host the very biggest games in the very biggest and best stadiums, and that’s what we’re here for. Orlando is one of the entertainment capitals of the world, so we thought it was a perfect fit to bring one of our best games here to the Camping World Stadium.”

Tyler credited Orlando City for helping build and develop the soccer scene in Central Florida while also saying Camping World Stadium is an ideal venue to host both European giants.

Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan was equally appreciative of the Lions.

“There’s been a resurrection of sorts,” said Hogan. “You think about this city, 1994 we were a World Cup city, that’s huge, it’s doesn’t get any bigger than that on the international stage. In ’96, we held a share of Olympic soccer here for some set number of games. When the stadium’s competitiveness fell, we disappeared from the map, but I think Orlando City’s ascension has resurrected the focus back in Orlando.”

General admission tickets will go on sale April 4, with Hogan suggesting some could start as low as $30.