International soccer game will wrap up strong two-week run for South Bend-area tourism

SOUTH BEND — Wrapping up two weeks of events that brought thousands of visitors to the South Bend area, the University of Notre Dame will host a special friendly soccer game between Chelsea FC and Celtic FC at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The matchup is the second international friendly that has taken place in Notre Dame Stadium in recent years. Liverpool Football Club and Borussia Dortmund played in the stadium in July 2019.

The process of converting the stadium surface into a turf field got underway on Monday and was pretty much completed by mid-week, according to Lee Sicinski, associate vice president for university events.

Liverpool vs. Dortmund: Natural turf being installed at Notre Dame Stadium for professional soccer match

Among other planned activities for both teams, three players from Celtic ― Kyogo Furuhashi, James Forrest and Callum McGregor ― are expected to visit JD Sports in the University Park Mall in Mishawaka at 3 p.m. Friday for a quick tour, a Q&A session and autographs for the first 100 visitors.

The store, which is a sponsor of the team, also will be selling Celtic jerseys. A spokesman for the mall indicated that information on the visit will be updated on UP Mall's site.

And JD Sports won’t be the only business looking to gain some traffic because of the match-up, which is expected to draw more than 40,000 visitors from throughout the region.

Terry Meehan, co-owner of Fiddler’s Hearth at 127 N. Main St., South Bend, believes business at the Irish pub could start picking up on Thursday afternoon as excitement builds for the game.

For those who can’t get tickets, Fidler’s Hearth will be showing the game and offering some menu items, such as Scotch eggs, to pair with the contest. Banners for each team also have been hung in the pub.

“It brings a lot of excitement to the city, especially in the middle of summer when things are a little slower,” he said.

Tickets are still available for the game through Ticketmaster and range from $65 to $205. The stadium parking lot will open at 8 a.m., and the stadium will open at 2 p.m. with all of the same security measures that Notre Dame fans are accustomed to, Sicinski said.

Among other activities, Celtic FC plans a type of pep rally at Gate 10 of the Joyce Center from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Food and drinks also will be available across campus.

Visitors interested in learning more about parking, game tickets, security and more should visit Experience Notre Dame to learn more, Sicinski said, adding that the game is expected to also draw a lot of visitors from the region that might not have been to campus before.

Jeff Jarnecke, executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka , said the soccer friendly will be the conclusion of one of the strongest mid-summer tourism runs that Michiana has experienced in recent years ― commencing with the annual America's Youth on Parade baton twirling championships and continuing with the 2024 BPA World Series at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium that drew 1,000 players, the North American Scrabble Players Association (NASPA) 's Scrabble Players Championship at Century Center and a USA Ultimate tournament at the Indiana Invaders Soccer Complex.

"It's an incredible number of visitors and a very diverse mix of events," he said, adding that the events certainly brought millions of dollars in spending at local hotels, restaurants and shops throughout the region.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com .

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: International soccer game will wrap up strong two-week run for South Bend-area tourism