CHAPEL HILL, NC (March 19, 2024) – The University of North Carolina will welcome elite international club soccer competition at Kenan Stadium when England’s Manchester City and Scotland’s Celtic FC will face off on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. The match is part of the 2024 FC Series, a collection of friendly matches featuring top global soccer clubs.
Tickets for the match will go on sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Fans can sign up for an exclusive 24-hour presale at www.FCSeries.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome international soccer fans back to Chapel Hill this summer for this fantastic event, and we are looking forward to hosting Manchester City and Celtic F.C.,” said Bubba Cunningham, Director of Athletics at UNC. “The atmosphere for last year’s game in Kenan Stadium was outstanding, and we can’t wait to share our beautiful campus and Carolina community with even more visitors from around the world.”
North Carolina will host the third all-time meeting between Manchester City and Celtic, with each team looking for their first series victory. The clubs drew in their two previous meetings as part of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages during the 2016-17 season.
"Both of these teams are champions, and we are excited to bring them to a campus that has no shortage of trophies,” said Molly Pendleton, Senior Vice President, Unified Events, UNC Alumni and a Raleigh resident.
“We are pleased to announce the details of our 2024 preseason tour today as we prepare to return to America with an exciting four-match series delivered in collaboration with FC Series this summer,” said Peter Laundy, Senior Vice President Partnerships at City Football Group. “We can’t wait to play more matches, deliver more unique experiences and opportunities for our fans across the country to enjoy with Manchester City when we return later this year.”
"Everyone at Celtic is really looking forward to our summer visit to the U.S. and of course myself as a U.S. national player, I can't wait,” said Celtic defender and U.S international, Cameron Carter-Vickers. "We are fortunate at Celtic to have such a global reach and we hope as many supporters as possible can attend the match in North Carolina - and of course we will be doing our very best to put on a great show for the fans."
Now in its third year hosting matches across the United States, the FC Series is a showcase for international soccer clubs. In January, the FC Series hosted CR Flamengo’s preseason tour in Florida. This summer, FC Series matches will take place in Chapel Hill, New York City, Orlando, Fla. and Columbus, Ohio.
“We are thrilled to partner with Unified Events to bring international soccer back to Kenan Stadium,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports. “The meeting between Manchester City and Celtic is going to have all eyes on Chapel Hill this summer.”
July 23 will be the second-ever international match at Kenan Stadium. Last July, Unified Events and the FC Series hosted Chelsea’s 5-0 victory over Wrexham in front of a sold-out crowd of 50,596. Proceeds from this summer’s match will benefit UNC Children's Hospital. Last year, $150,000 was donated to the hospital.
“This match is a huge economic boon and source of pride for the greater Chapel Hill area, and we are thrilled to host these two teams in our North Carolina communities. The college atmosphere is an ideal backdrop for all guests and our community leaders have been busy researching the teams’ history, mascots and preparing to offer a hearty welcome this July,” said Laurie Paolicelli, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.
Additional information about the July 23 match, including start time and broadcast information, will be announced at a later date.
About Celtic Football Club
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club with proud Irish links. Today, the club is one of the most famous sporting institutions in the world, with a fabled history of sporting achievement. Celtic was the first British Club to win the European Cup (current Champions League) in 1967. The club has achieved a world record eight domestic Trebles, been named Scottish Champions 53 times and achieved cup victories in Scotland on 62 occasions.
Now in its third-year hosting matches across the United States, the FC Series is a showcase for international soccer clubs. In January, the FC Series hosted CR Flamengo’s preseason tour in Florida. This summer, FC Series matches will take place in Chapel Hill, New York City, Orlando, Fla. and Columbus, Ohio.
“We are thrilled to partner with Unified Events to bring international soccer back to Kenan Stadium,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports. “The meeting between Manchester City and Celtic is going to have all eyes on Chapel Hill this summer.”
July 23 will be the second-ever international match at Kenan Stadium. Last July, Unified Events and the FC Series hosted Chelsea’s 5-0 victory over Wrexham in front of a sold-out crowd of 50,596.
About Manchester City Football Club:
Manchester City FC was initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton and officially became Manchester City FC in 1894. Situated on the wider Etihad Campus, the Club’s footprint includes the 53,500 capacity Etihad Stadium, the 7,000 capacity Joie Stadium and City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance, training and youth development facility home to the Club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams.
Ranked as the Most Valuable Football Club Brand in the world by Brand Finance, Manchester City FC is currently developing a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Campus. The Club is committed to operating in a sustainable and socially responsible manner and ensures that equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded into its decision-making processes, culture and practices.
For more information, please visit www.mancity.com
About Unified Events:
Unified Events brings our partner teams closer to their fans and brings world-class matchups to our partner venues. Since 2021, Unified Events and its affiliates have managed all aspects of the ticketing for over 70 international soccer matches in the US, featuring many of the world's biggest professional clubs.
About FC Series:
The FC Series is a global platform that combines sports, music and entertainment. Previously known as the Florida Cup, the largest annual international soccer event in the Sunshine State, the event expanded to the FC Series to feature matches across the United States. The FC Series is managed by Florida Citrus Sports, the Orlando-based nonprofit known for its world-class events, including the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl, the Pop Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the FC Series and the Camping World Kickoff. In 2023, the event was broadcast live to over 100 countries. Across social networks, content posted by official event pages and shared worldwide reached over 100 million people. For more information on the FC Series, visit FCSeries.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Additional information on the July 23 match, including broadcast information and media accreditation, will be announced at a later date. Fans can sign up for exclusive presale access at FCSeries.com.
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Contact:
UNC: Daniel Forcella, dforce@unc.edu, 984-363-0621
Unified Events: Andrea Yoch, andrea@yoch.com, 651-335-9665
Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau: Laurie Paolicelli. lpaolicelli@visitchapelhill.org (919) 245-4322 or (919) 259-1658.
Header photo - Chelsea vs Wrexham in Kenan Stadium on July 19, 2023 by Steven Paul Whitsitt for Visit Chapel Hill. Larger image of header and more images available via pgriffin@visitchapelhill.org
