A soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico is being relocated to Florida from Chicago, according to people familiar with the decision, a day after the Texas National Guard arrived in the third-largest US city.
The friendly match, originally scheduled for Oct. 13 at Chicago’s 61,500-seat Soldier Field, will now take place at Florida’s much smaller Chase Stadium, the people said, asking not to be named because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly. The 21,550-seat venue in Fort Lauderdale is the home of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF.
The Argentine Football Association declined to comment. The move was first reported by the Associated Press.
Ticketmaster’s website says the Chicago event has been canceled and is offering refunds. Previously, it had shown wide availability of seats for the match. Argentina is also slated to play in the Miami area on Oct. 10 against Venezuela.
Chicago has faced a series of protests against a US immigration crackdown, which according to the Associated Press were behind the teams’ decision to move the match from the city. On Tuesday, members of the Texas National Guard began arriving in the city. President Donald Trump later said said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson should be put behind bars.
Photo: Members of the Texas National Guard at the Elwood Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, Illinois on Oct. 7. Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images
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