Prior to the Campeones Cup, the official NYCFC and Atlas FC press conferences will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET at the community event in the Bronx on Monday, September 12.
NEW YORK AND MEXICO CITY (September 8, 2022) – Ahead of the fourth annual Campeones Cup – the clash between the reigning champions of Major League Soccer and Liga MX, to be held on September 14 in New York – and as part of their commitment to supporting positive change in local communities, league champions New York City FC and Atlas FC, as well as MLS and Liga MX, will join forces to host community events that promote literacy in both New York and in Guadalajara, Mexico, to support youth development. This is the first time in the history of the Campeones Cup that a community event will be held in both countries, reinforcing the commitment of the two leagues, as partners, to be a force for positive change and to have a shared impact across borders.
This coming Monday, September 12 in the Bronx, NYCFC and Atlas FC will host a "Little Free Library" at PS 49 Willis Avenue Elementary School with a book reading to celebrate their investment in literacy as an educational resource to complement existing NYCFC City in the Community (CITC) soccer programming. The "Little Free Library" is one of twelve libraries to be donated, along with books that address racism and social justice and amplify BIPOC and LGBTQ voices with their diverse content and characters.
Along with representatives from each club, Yasmine Sanchez , CITC Youth Leader, will lead a live reading from the children's book she wrote, "Passenger," focused on safe spaces to play and how soccer has provided him with that refuge. Through CITC's Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship program, youth ages 15-24 are empowered to coach other youth soccer players while addressing key issues in their community. Yasmine is using soccer to address the lack of access to diverse stories and bookstores in the Bronx.
The event will kick off with each club's official pre-game press conference, followed by a book reading, and will conclude with a soccer clinic for local youth. The soccer clinic will be hosted by CITC youth leaders at one of NYCFC's 54 new mini community fields built as part of the club's commitment to increasing access to safe spaces to play.
NYCFC Interim Head Coach Nick Cushing, defenseman for NYCFC Maxime Chanot, Atlas FC Head Coach Diego Cocca, and Atlas FC Goalkeeper Camilo Vargas will be present and participating in the scheduled activities.
Today, September 8 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Atlas FC will unveil a “Little Library” known as the Reading Box at Centro Cultural Constitución, a center that provides a safe space for development opportunities after school. This "Reading Box" will be one of nine donated rounderserved communities and cultural centers throughout Jalisco to support literacy. The event will be attended by players, the Atlas FC mascot and 30 children from the Centro Cultural Constitución.
NYCFC will host Atlas FC on Wednesday, September 14 at Yankee Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET) in New York to decide which league takes the title. Tickets for the 2022 Campeones Cup are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
