LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Global soccer powerhouses FC Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) have arrived in Louisville for the inaugural Women's Cup at Lynn Family Stadium that kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 18.
What You Need To Know
- FC Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain arrive in Louisville
- The Women’s Cup is an inaugural event to be played at Lynn Family Stadium
- The four-team, four-game tournament will kick off Wednesday
- Each club is bringing 25 players
The two international clubs will join the two National Women’s Soccer League members Racing Louisville and Chicago Red Stars. The four-team, four-game tournament will start as Bayern and PSG kick off at 5 p.m. and Racing and Chicago kick off at 7:30 p.m.
The two international clubs were welcomed to Louisville in style with a water cannon salute as the teams touched down to compete in the historic event.
“We know that soccer, yes, or football is the world's most famous game, and you might know Louisville as the home of Muhammad Ali and the home of the Kentucky Derby as well, but we are really delighted to have y'all here for the Women's Cup,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said.
FC Bayern won the 2020-2021 title in Germany’s highest division. The club also advanced to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Women’s Champions League semi-finals. PSG won its first Division 1 Feminine title in France's top flight and was also a Champions League semifinalist.
“We're providing the opportunity for international teams to face each other from different continents and it's massive. It's huge. We consider this a historical event,” Jaime Phillips, CEO of the Women’s Cup, said.
Each club is bringing 25 players for the chance to get on the pitch and play against the best of the best.
“It's going to be a special event. We estimate over 25,000 people over the four days and 3.6 million economic impact to our city,” Cleo Battle, president/CEO of Louisville Tourism said.
It's a chance for Racing’s newest star Nadia Nadim to face off against her former club, PSG.
“She traveled to the other side of the world to play in a different country, different continent, and now is going to face PSG for the first time and it was very recent, so I’d say it'd be super exciting and at the same time very unusual for her,” Phillips said.
The Women's Cup kicks off Wednesday night with the final on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. followed by the final at 6 p.m.