Campeones Cup Community Project creates access for future soccer champions through pitch renovations in underserved communities in the United States and Mexico
NEW YORK AND MEXICO CITY (September 22, 2023) – Ahead of the fifth annual Campeones Cup, league champions Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Tigres UANL will join forces to conduct community events in both Los Angeles and San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico to support youth development. For the second time in Campeones Cup history, these community events will be hosted in both countries, reinforcing the commitment from Major League Soccer and LIGA MX, as partners, to be a force for positive change and create impact across both communities.
LAFC, in partnership with the LAFC Foundation, Nicks Kids Soccer, and the Kellyn Acosta Foundation will unveil a soccer pitch renovation in the Watts neighborhood on Monday, Sept. 25 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT. With the support of Nicks Kids Soccer, the pitch will aim to benefit hundreds of kids on a weekly basis. Nicks Kids Soccer supports at-risk youth living in Nickerson Gardens, a development located in the Watts neighborhood. This endeavor is part of the LAFC Foundation’s commitment to provide more than 2,600 youth with access to soccer.
Emceed by MLS Season Pass talent Max Bretos, activities will begin with the pitch unveil, followed by an intimate conversation between LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta and youth participants onsite, and a youth soccer clinic led by LAFC2 players.
Also occurring on Monday, Tigres UANL, in a collaborative effort with Paseo San Nicolas Soccer Academy and the Nemi Foundation, will unveil a renovated soccer pitch that will benefit more than 230 kids from Profesor Ruben Dario Middle School and provide weekly engagement opportunities for over 240 families in the Paseo San Nicolas neighborhood of San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. This project is part of Club Tigres’ commitment to inspire through soccer by implementing programs that champion a better quality of life, education, equity and inclusion. Fundación Tigres projects have generated a positive impact on families and communities by motivating them to live by the club’s values such as respect, discipline, teamwork, fair play and non-violence.
The pitch unveil will encompass the restoration of the soccer field and playground of Paseo de San Nicolas Park. Additionally, the event will feature reforestation efforts, a new mural symbolizing community unity, and the opportunities for inclusion of historically discriminated groups like women and people with disabilities through soccer. More than 80 volunteers including Tigres players and front office staff, students, and members of the Paseo de San Nicolas community and Nemi Foundation will come together to support the event. A brief inauguration ceremony will take place at the end to conclude the event.
LAFC will host Tigres on Wednesday, September 27 at BMO Stadium (8 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass) in Los Angeles to decide which league takes the title. Tickets to the 2023 Campeones Cup are available at Ticketmaster.com.