Giant stadium, giant teams. Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid will play French champion Paris Saint-Germain in Ohio Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on July 27, officials confirmed this morning. The game, part of the International Champions Cup exhibition series, will be the first between two major European soccer powers in Columbus.

Giant stadium, giant teams.

Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid will play French champion Paris Saint-Germain at Ohio Stadium at 7:30 p.m. July 27, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The game, part of the International Champions Cup exhibition series, will be the first between two major European soccer powers in Columbus.

Real Madrid features Cristiano Ronaldo and has a massive global fan base. Supporters from across the Midwest and beyond are expected to buy tickets, which will start at $35 and go on sale to the public April 5.

Further ticket information will be announced later, but Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Ohio State season-ticket holders will have access to presales beginning next week. Crew SC season-ticket holders also will have presale access.

�We think the International Cup is a perfect fit in this environment,� Smith said of Ohio Stadium hosting professional soccer for the first time since the Crew played there from 1996 to '98. �It�s a great sport with a lot of fans. Hopefully, the weather is good and everybody is thirsty and we�ll be good.�

Ohio Stadium will sell alcohol that night and otherwise operate as it would during an Ohio State football game, Smith said.

The game will be played on a temporary grass surface that will begin to be installed several days prior. Because of the 105,000-seat stadium�s configuration, the field will measure about 68 yards wide, 2 yards shy of FIFA regulations but about 5 yards wider than the field on which the Crew played.

It was a small concession that Real Madrid and PSG were willing to make to play in Columbus, said Kwame Bryan, an executive with promoter Relevent Sports.

�When they see MLS Cup sold out here and they�re trying not to do the same old thing going to LA or New York or Chicago or D.C., they want to come,� Bryan said.

In 2014, an ICC game featuring Manchester United and Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium drew 109,318 fans, a record for soccer in the U.S.

The ICC series, held in North America, Australia, China and in Europe, serves as a preseason competition for many of the world�s top teams. Other participating teams include AC Milan, Barcelona, Celtic, Chelsea and Liverpool. Other venues include Soldier Field in Chicago, Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, the Rose Bowl in California, and the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

smitchell@dispatch.com

@smitchcd