Goal brings you everything you need to know about the glamour tournament that features some of the best teams on the planet
The sixth edition of the International Champions Cup is set to get under way this summer as some of the world's biggest and best clubs collide.
Held in the likes of Asia and the United States, the annual pre-season tournament involving Europe's top clubs taps into the huge fanbases that exist for those teams outside of their local markets.
It has drawn huge crowds in the past; and not only do the clubs involved pocket significant appearance fees, but it also enables them to benefit from the longer-term commercial benefits of engaging with supporters across the globe.
There are still a few months to go, but ahead of the tournament Goal brings you all you need to know about the 2018 International Champions Cup.
What is the International Champions Cup?
The International Champions Cup (ICC) is a pre-season tournament that has been held every summer since 2013.
For the past three years, the ICC has been split into three different regions: the United States, China and Australia in 2016 and the United States, China and Singapore in 2017.
In the two years prior to that, it was held exclusively in the USA. This year, China has been replaced by a number of European venues in Sweden, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
Europe and Singapore will host 10 games in total, while the USA section has 18 games on the schedule.
Some clubs will play in a number of the tournaments but all three are unrelated, with a separate 'champion' emerging from each one. In reality, the league tables do not mean much as not all teams will play each other and some will play more games than others.
It begins on July 20 and ends on August 12, getting everyone back before the start of their competitive campaigns.
Which teams are in the International Champions Cup?
Eighteen of Europe's top clubs will take part in the 2018 edition of the ICC, which will be held at various venues across the United States, Europe and Singapore.
The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester giants United and City continue their involvement from previous years, while Benfica, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool join, having not played a part in the 2017 edition.
Unlike 2017, no games will be played in China, with Singapore providing hosting duties in Asia, but a number of fixtures will take place across Europe, with the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain among those scheduled to play.
International Champions Cup 2018 fixtures
The 2018 edition of the ICC kicks off on July 20 - just a few days after the World Cup comes to an end - and will conclude on August 12.
The US leg of the competion runs from July 20, with Man City and Borussia Dortmund getting things started, until August 7, when Real Madrid and Roma play.
Sevilla and Benfica kick off the European games on July 20, with Atletico and Inter concluding matters on August 12.
The Singapore section of the ICC is the shortest and features the least number of games, with the first match - between Arsenal and PSG - kicking off on July 26, while PSG and Atletico close the section out four days later on July 30.
Due to the time difference, many of the games played will kick-off late at night in Britain or even in the early hours of the following morning.
Both local and UK times will be listed below.
United States:
Europe:
Singapore:
International Champions Cup 2018 venues
Who won the International Champions Cup last year?
Each section yields a separate winner, but in 2017 there were only two 'champions' because the teams in the Chinese section did not all play the same number of games.
Barcelona won their first ever ICC title by topping the US section with three wins from three. The Blaugrana defeated Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid on their way to glory.
Inter, meanwhile, topped the Singapore section to scoop a first ICC title, beating Bayern Munich and Chelsea.