CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE BECOMES OFFICIAL CRUISE LINE PARTNER OF LEAGUES CUP
Two-League Professional Soccer Tournament Featuring 47 Clubs
from United States, Canada and Mexico
MIAMI, July 29, 2024 – Carnival Cruise Line is kicking off a multi-year partnership with Leagues Cup, the premiere professional soccer tournament in North America, as the event’s official cruise line partner. Bringing together 47 clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX for 77 matches over the next month, Leagues Cup is the first-of-its kind tournament in the history of soccer and celebrates the rich cultural exchange inherent in North American soccer.
As the official cruise line of Leagues Cup, Carnival will help infuse fun for fans with both an in-stadium and television presence during live games, as well as a digital presence including a co-branded online content series created for Leagues Cup social channels.
“Anyone who watches a professional soccer game knows the stadium is filled with high-energy fun, which is exactly the kind of environment we love at Carnival and a good reason why you’ll find many soccer fans on board our ships. Teaming up with the Leagues Cup is a great opportunity to bring our Carnival fans together with another fervent fan base, further building on our alignment with the kinds of sports we know our guests love,” said Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, chief marketing officer at Carnival Cruise Line.
“Partnering with Carnival Cruise Line allows us to merge the excitement of soccer with the joy of travel and adventure. Together, we are committed to enhancing the tournament experience and creating unforgettable memories for fans across North America," said Carter Ladd, executive vice president and chief revenue officer at Major League Soccer.
Leagues Cup, which kicked off this past weekend with a series of exciting games, concludes with a final championship match on Aug. 25.
For more information about this year’s tournament, visit the Leagues Cup website. For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation on Carnival, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit http://www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.
# # #
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests and is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S. homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports, as well as seasonally from Europe and employs more than 48,000 team members representing 120 nationalities.
Carnival’s fleet of 27 ships reflects an exciting period of growth that continues with the addition of seven ships through 2033: two ships joining in February 2025 when P&O Cruises Australia integrates into Carnival; a fourth and fifth Excel class ship scheduled for 2027 and 2028 respectively; followed by three additional new ships from an innovative new class currently under development. Carnival’s next new guest offering will be the all-new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, set to debut on Grand Bahama next summer.
ABOUT LEAGUES CUP
Leagues Cup represents a monumental new chapter for North American soccer. Since 2023, Major League Soccer and LIGA MX pause their regular seasons each summer, allowing all 47 first division professional clubs in both leagues to compete in the World Cup-style, official Concacaf sanctioned tournament, which will qualify the top three finishers for the Concacaf Champions Cup. In 2023, MLS’ Inter Miami CF became the first-ever Leagues Cup champion.
Leagues Cup 2024 will kick off Friday, July 26, and will feature 77 games hosted at stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the Final taking place on Sunday, August 25. Fans in over 100 countries and regions will be able to watch Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. MLS Season Pass is available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can also access MLS Season Pass from the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, where they can watch games alongside other apps in their physical space; within an Environment, so the screen feels 100 feet wide; and in Spatial Audio for an even more immersive viewing experience. In addition, TelevisaUnivision, TV Azteca FOX Sports, TSN, and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select Leagues Cup matches.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE MEDIA CONTACT:
media@carnival.com
LEAGUES CUP MEDIA CONTACT:
Felipe Martinez Amaral
felipe.martinezamaral@leaguescup.com
