International Champions Cup serves up McDonald’s partnership

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has agreed a deal to sponsor the 2016 edition of pre-season club football competition the International Champions Cup.

McDonald’s has been named the official quick service restaurant for the United States and Europe section of this year’s tournament, which will take place from July 23 to August 13.

Under the agreement, McDonald’s will organise a number of fan engagement initiatives at games in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Ex-footballers Carlos Valderrama and Oswaldo Sánchez will be present at youth events in the three cities, while McDonald’s will also deploy its player escort programme, which it has used in the past at the Fifa World Cup.

The programme gives children the opportunity to become mascots for ICC games across the US, and also selects ball boys and girls and flag bearers. All mascots, ball kids and flag bearers will wear McDonald’s-branded clothing.

Further activities will include 3×3 football matches, photo booths, video games, foosball tables and sampling opportunities.

Ten European sides have committed to this year’s ICC, which is also hosting events in Australia and China. They include Spanish Liga clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid; English Premier League teams Chelsea, Liverpool and Leicester City; German Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich; Italian Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan; French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and Scottish Premiership outfit Celtic.

McDonald’s struck the deal with ICC organiser Relevent Sports, which is part of sports investment group RSE Ventures.