Atlético Nacional, Pumas Join 2021 Florida Cup Lineup

ORLANDO, Fla., July 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The lineup for the 2021 Florida Cup is complete once again, with Atlético Nacional and Club Universidad Nacional joining Everton FC and Millonarios FC. Tournament action begins on Sunday, July 25, at Camping World Stadium, where Everton and Millonarios will meet at 6 p.m. ET.

The new clubs will take the pitch as part of a revamped doubleheader lineup for Wednesday, July 28. Everton will meet Club Universidad Nacional – commonly known as Pumas – at 6 p.m. ET, while Colombian rivals Atlético and Millonarios face off in a clásico scheduled for 8:45 p.m.

"We're elated to add two more legendary clubs to the tournament lineup, including the first Mexican side to participate in the Florida Cup," Florida Cup CEO Ricardo Villar said. "Both of these teams bring championship pedigree to Orlando, and we are honored to be able to offer fans from Central Florida and beyond such an exciting trio of matches during this year's event."

Sunday features a historic match between English Premier League squad, Everton, and Colombian powerhouse Millonarios to determine the 2021 Florida Cup champion. Everton have spent a record 118 seasons in England's top flight and feature Colombian-born star James Rodriguez, who will be meeting a club from his home country for the first time. Millonarios' visit comes on the heels of a strong showing in Categoría Primera A, concluding with the club's 25th finals appearance in Colombia's top league.

On Wednesday, July 28, a pair friendly matches kicks off at 6 p.m. ET when Everton meets Pumas, which is making its Florida Cup debut. The club finished second in the league table during the 2020 "Torneo Guardianes" first-semester season before advancing to the title match. Overall, Pumas have won seven LigaMX championships and three CONCACAF Champions League titles.

Later Wednesday night, Millonarios and Atlético Nacional add to their storied rivalry when they meet for the 280th time and the first in the United States. Millonarios holds a 106-82-91 lead in the all-time series, but Atlético took their most recent match 2-1 in March of this year. Atlético Nacional has won 16 titles in Colombia's Categoria Primera A and is a two-time Copa Libertadores champion, most recently in 2016. Atlético Nacional also won the 2018 Florida Cup.

Broadcast agreements for all Florida Cup matches will be announced shortly.

The changes to the 2021 event lineup complete a shakeup that began when two clubs withdrew from the tournament. Out of respect for the fans who purchased tickets to the original lineup, event organizers refunded all orders. Refunds may take up to 30 days to process. Additional information was sent to ticket holders through their point of purchase.

Because the Florida Cup refunded all original purchases, fans will have to purchase new tickets to the revised event lineup. General admission tickets for each day are on sale at FloridaCup.com. Tickets for July 25 are $20 each, while tickets for the July 28 doubleheader are $35.

About Florida Cup
The largest annual international soccer event in the Sunshine State, the Florida Cup is a global platform that combines sports, music and entertainment. In 2020, the event's live attendance exceeded 40,000 people, with an international TV audience reaching over 5 million unique viewers. Across social networks, content posted by official event pages and shared worldwide reached more than 100 million people. For more information on the Florida Cup, visit FloridaCup.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Florida Citrus Sports
Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events, including the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, the Cheez-It Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Florida Cup and the Camping World Kickoff. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com. 

About Everton FC
One of the 12 Founder Members of the Football League, Everton has spent more seasons in England's top division than any other Club (118) and been crowned league champions on nine occasions.

Founded in 1878 as St Domingo, the Club has also lifted the FA (Football Association) Cup five times and, in 1985, added the European Cup Winners' Cup to its prestigious haul.

Throughout its 142-year history Everton has been known as a family-oriented Club based on proud traditions, affectionately referred to as 'The People's Club'. Those traditions have also encouraged innovation, ensuring Everton has remained one of the great pioneering Clubs in the history of the game. The first Club to construct a purpose-built football stadium, Goodison Park is one of the most revered stadiums in England. In the coming years the Club will be looking to maintain those traditions in a new 52,888 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, ensuring the Club's roots remain in north Liverpool for generations to come.

As a pioneer, the Club is renowned for many firsts that we take for granted in today's game. Everton was the first Club to see its players wear shirts numbered 1 to 11, the first Club to go on an overseas tour, the first English Club to install dugouts and undersoil heating, the first Club to feature in a televised match, the first Club to introduce a regular matchday programme, the first Club to present its players with medals for winning the Football League championship and the first Club to have a player, Dixie Dean, break the 60 goals barrier in a single league season.

About Millonarios FC
Millonarios FC is one of the most important soccer teams in South America and one of the most representative of Colombian soccer. With 15 local titles he is one of the most winning clubs in his country. It was also recognized in the 1950s as one of the best teams in the world since it had the legendary player Alfredo D`Stefano on its squad.

About Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional was founded in 1947 as Club Atlético Municipal de Medellin. One of the most successful teams in Colombia, they have won 16 Categoría Primera A championships, two Copa Libertadores titles, four Copa Colombia championships, and two Superliga Colombiana championships.

About Club Universidad Nacional
Club Universidad Nacional, better known as Pumas, was formed in 1954. They are one of the most successful teams in Mexico with seven Liga MX championships, one Copa MX title, two Campeón de Campeones championship, and three CONCACAF Champions League titles.

Sam Gardner (Florida Citrus Sports)
407.423.2476 ext. 117, [email protected]

SOURCE Florida Cup