Nexon to Host ‘Icon Match’ Featuring Soccer Legends
Nexon announced on the 22nd that legendary England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard will join the ‘2025 Icon Match: Return of Creativity, Start of the Counterattack’ to be held on September 14 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul. (Photo provided by Nexon)
With the inclusion of France’s soccer legend Thierry Henry, Brazilian soccer icon Ronaldinho, and Liverpool’s ‘eternal captain’ Steven Gerrard, Nexon’s ‘2025 Icon Match: Return of Creativity, Start of the Counterattack (Icon Match)’ boasts a star-studded lineup. The 60,000 tickets for the event have been sold out.
Nexon announced on the 25th that tickets for the 2025 Icon Match, sold via limited edition trading platform ‘KREAM,’ have all been purchased. The main match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, which can accommodate about 60,000 people on September 14, saw 20,000 seats sell out in just 10 minutes during the pre-sale on the 21st and a further 40,000 seats sold out in 20 minutes during the general sale on the 22nd.
On the 22nd, Nexon also announced the addition of legendary England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard to the ‘FC Sphere,’ exciting domestic soccer fans. Arsenal’s former manager Arsène Wenger will join as the manager of ‘FC Sphere,’ and Rafael Benítez will join as the manager of ‘Shield United,’ thrilling fans who were once enamored with their soccer prowess.
The ‘FC Sphere,’ composed of renowned forwards, includes Didier Drogba, Park Ji-sung, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Steven Gerrard, Ricardo Kaká, Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney, Franck Ribéry, Eden Hazard, Clarence Seedorf, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Seol Ki-hyeon, and Koo Ja-cheol. Gianluigi Buffon and Lee Bum-young will serve as the goalkeepers for this team.
In contrast, ‘Shield United,’ formed with defenders, features Rio Ferdinand, Lee Young-pyo, Carles Puyol, Nemanja Vidić, John Arne Riise, Maicon, Ashley Cole, Claude Makélélé, Sol Campbell, Park Joo-ho, Gilberto Silva, Claudio Marchisio, Michael Carrick, and Alessandro Nesta. Iker Casillas and Kim Young-kwang will take on the role of goalkeepers.
Nexon’s Executive Vice President of Business, Park Jung-moo, commented, “Thanks to the passionate interest and support from fans, we have achieved a ticket sellout for this year’s massive soccer event ‘2025 Icon Match,’ something previously only imaginable. This year, with even more dazzling legendary players participating, we hope attendees on September 13 and 14 will create unforgettable memories.” On the 13th, players will participate in various mini-games during an ‘event match,’ while the main match between FC Sphere and Shield United will take place on the 14th.