FC Barcelona have reached the third and final destination of the US Tour. After visiting New York and Washington DC, their MAI634 slight on Thursday arrived at Miami International Airport at around 1.00pm EST.
Once again, they were greeted by hordes of adoring fans, with Leo Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar Jr as ever generating the biggest buzz of excitement as they emerged in the arrivals hall and starting making their way the EAST, Miami Hotel that will be their home for the last three nights of their time in the US.
The Barça entourage was also greeted by temperatures well into the thirties, although the bad news is that rain is being forecast for the remainder of their stay on the south-eastern tip of Florida.
Clásico with a difference
Wet or not, however, nothing is likely to dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands of stateside culés, who know they have a very special treat indeed lined up for them on Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and also college football’s Miami Hurricanes.
At 7.30pm EST, Barça will be taking on none other than Real Madrid in a preseason Clásico – a very rare event indeed (the last one was way back in 1991).
Even rarer is a meeting between these two sides outside of Spain. In fact, it’s only the second time it’s ever happened – the sole previous case being a friendly in Venezuela in 1982.
So no wonder the excitement is building in Miami, a city where soccer is followed with a passion and where huge numbers of the population side with one or other of the two Spanish giants. And if the response to their heroes' arrival on Thursday is anything to go by, the Barça contingent are going to making their presence felt loud and clear!
