Will It Happen for Real?

Mark Beech

May 17, 2004

Plans for a July 31 matchup in Foxboro between MLS All-Stars and Spanish titan Real Madrid remain up in the air. Real, boasting such stars as Ronaldo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane, is planning to tour the U.S. in July and August, but with two games left in the Spanish season the Galacticos are a point ahead of third-place Barcelona. Only the top two teams in La Liga qualify automatically for Champions League play next year, so if Real drops below Barcelona, it would have to play in Champions League qualifying beginning in August. While that won't necessarily scupper the MLS game—a league insider says MLS is confident the match will go on—politics might. One of the candidates up for the presidency of Real Madrid this summer has vowed to cancel the tour if he's elected.