Citi Field to host soccer match

JUPITER, Fla. -- European soccer clubs Olympiacos and A.C. Milan will play at Citi Field on July 24, the Mets announced on Tuesday.

The winner of 40 league titles and 26 Greek Cup titles in its history, Olympiacos will be making its first New York-area appearance in 27 years as it squares off against A.C. Milan, winner of a record 18 Serie A titles in Italy.

Tickets go on sale on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET at mets.com/soccer. The game will be televised internationally on FOX Sports 1.

The match is part of the Guinness International Champions Cup, featuring eight of the world's most recognizable soccer clubs: Real Madrid CF, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool FC, AS Roma, Inter Milan, A.C. Milan and Olympiacos. Twelve round-robin contests will take place from July 24 to Aug. 2 in New York (at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium), Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Dallas and one additional city. The finals are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 4, in Miami.

Citi Field has hosted several soccer games in recent years, catering to the diverse ethnic groups that live in the area. Nearby Astoria, Queens, is home to the largest population of Greeks outside Greece; New York proper boasts the largest Italian-American population in the country.

"It is with great pleasure that the administration, technical leadership and we, the players of Olympiacos, await the match against A.C. Milan," said Olympiacos' captain, central defender Aavram Papadopolous. "We are delighted to be playing against a historic rival in front of thousands of fans, most of which will be Greek expatriates. We promise to honor their turnout and offer a beautiful spectacle to all of those who really love football!"