Lionel Messi, other soccer stars in talks to play at Soldier Field
February 20, 2013 FC Barcelona and Argentina national team soccer star Lionel Messi and 35 of the world's top soccer players are lining up a "Messi & Friends" exhibition game at Soldier Field on July 6, according to Miami-based sports marketing company Numero 5 Producciones LLC, which is putting on the event.
The game, which reports suggest will feature international soccer stars like Didier Drogba, Carlos Bocanegra, Dani Alves and others, is part of a series of games benefiting the Lionel Messi Foundation that will also take place in Peru, Colombia and Los Angeles this summer.
The foundation raises money and awareness for "at risk" children and those with terminal illnesses, according to its website.
Luca Serra, spokesman for Solider Field management firm SMG, confirmed that Numero 5 has a verbal agreement with the stadium to hold the event, though final details of the contract are still being worked out.
The event is not listed on the Soldier Field event schedule and general admission tickets are not yet available, but about 80 VIP tickets are on sale at MessiandFriends.net for $2,500 apiece, which includes sideline field seats and a meet-and-greet session with players.
Mr. Serra said stadium officials are advising Numero 5 on setting ticket prices that will offset the massive costs of bringing the nearly three-dozen premier players to Chicago and are hoping to finalize the agreement in the next week.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament, meanwhile, returns to Soldier Field from July 7 through 28, two years after the stadium hosted a Gold Cup doubleheader, with one game between Mexico and Costa Rica and another between El Salvador and Cuba.
"The Messi & Friends exhibition, much like the NFL Pro-Bowl or the MLB All-Star Game, will provide fans with an unparalleled opportunity to witness the greatest athletes in the sport of soccer together on the field of competition before the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014,” Sergio Condino, vice president of Numero 5, said in a statement.
