El Clásico, the most famous football match in the world, has returned. Sunday’s match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu is one of the most eagerly awaited in recent memory, with both teams unbeaten in domestic football so far this season and tied atop the LaLiga Santander table.
Just nine games into the Spanish league season, this weekend’s El Clásico is already a must-see match and a title decider.
With a potential global viewership of 650 million, the game will have unprecedented global awareness thanks to an abundance of LaLiga activations in the days leading up to the game and a number of large-scale matchday festivities.
There will be special match broadcasts intended to deliver the enthusiasm and fervor of LaLiga directly to football fans throughout the globe.
From Europe through Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia, LaLiga has organized a total of 108 activations in 52 countries across five continents, including 17 in collaboration with both global and local partners.
On the day of the match, over 10,000 fans are anticipated to attend in-person events like as public viewings and watch parties, while thousands more will participate in activations such as special exhibits, fan tournaments, and social media competitions.
The first El Clásico of the LaLiga season will leave an indelible impact on some of the world’s most prominent locations. As part of local broadcaster ESPN’s unprecedented coverage of the game, a special El Clásico brand campaign has taken over Times Square in New York City and the LA Live entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
El Clásico activations will also place supporters from all four corners of the globe in the center of the action, demonstrating LaLiga’s genuinely worldwide reach.
Special watch parties in established football markets such as India (where 2,000 fans and 200 VIP guests will live every moment of the match in Mumbai), Brazil, and the United Kingdom will be joined by watch parties in Armenia, Finland, and Paraguay, as well as a meet-and-greet with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona legend and former national team coach Luis Milla in Indonesia.
There will be a seven-a-side tournament for over 600 participants in Vietnam, an exhibition promoting the match and LaLiga Pass, the groundbreaking new OTT delivering entire and season-long LaLiga viewing, in Thailand, and a score prediction competition with MotoGP racers in Australia.
In addition, a widespread digital promotional campaign offers VIP El Clásico experiences to Nigerian supporters on match day.
Additionally, the Middle East and North Africa have been given special attention, and numerous unique events and campaigns have been organized throughout the region.
In conjunction with a new local partner, the Jordanian capital Amman will host an open-air viewing party, while over 500 fans in Egypt will be able to enjoy a public viewing with influencers and food trucks.
El Clásico viewing parties will also be staged in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco, as well as in Dubai, Doha, and Istanbul, along with local supporter groups from both sides of the rivalry.
This season’s unique El Clásico experience will also extend to the television broadcast, particularly in India, where the match will be available not only on the free-to-air channel SPORTS 18 KHEL, but also on JioCinema, a brand-new and free OTT, in an unprecedented four local languages (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam) to reach as many fans as possible across the country.
LaLiga’s accounts across 24 social media platforms will also deliver substantial and exclusive El Clásico content in 20 different languages in the days leading up to the event, as well as provide important pre-match coverage to over 160 million followers across the world in the hours building up to kickoff.
El Clásico on Sunday promises to be one of the most surprising and eagerly awaited contests between these two teams in recent memory.
And, as usual, the stars of international football will be on display. Karim Benzema, the favorite to win the 2022 Ballon d’Or, will spearhead Real Madrid’s attack, supported by 2018 champion Luka Modric and Vini Jr, arguably the most exciting wide player in international football over the previous year.
FC Barcelona also have a star-studded lineup. Robert Lewandowski, 2021 Golden Boy Pedri, and a rejuvenated Ousmane Dembele will lead the league leaders to the Santiago Bernabéu in the hopes of shocking the home fans, much as they did on their previous visit in March, when they won 4-0.
No matter who wins, football fans around the world are in for a treat.