
This is the third time the competition has been held and is now an established institution in the Sunshine State. Bayer 04 are the only team to have played in all three years.
Six teams are competing for the trophy from 8 to 15 January under the motto 'Where clubs become nations'. Germany are represented by the Werkself and the VfL Wolfsburg youth team, Atlético Mineiro and EC Bahia from Brazil are here and the 'USA/Argentina team' is made up of Tampa Bay Rowdies and Estudiantes de La Plata. Every team plays two games and the points are added up for the nations at the end with wins earning three points, draws one plus the chance for an extra point in the final penalty shootout.
Verón’s comeback
Bayer 04 opened the Florida Cup on Sunday (20.00 CET) against Estudiantes de La Plata. The opponents were at the top of the Argentinian league for a long time in the first half of the season but finished fourth in 2016. One particular point of interest: The great Juan Sebastian Verón makes his comeback after promise the fans to face Bayer 04 at the age of 41. Verón has signed an 18-month contract at Estudiantes. The Bayer 04 there are hopes that Karim Bellarabi will also make his comeback. Roger Schmidt is considering giving him time on the pitch in the Florida Cup. The matches were shown live on DAZN and the Bayer 04 Facebook page.
Atlético with Robinho on Wednesday
The second game for the Werkself takes place on the night of Wednesday to Thursday (01.00 CET) in Orlando. Schmidt's team will face and Atlético Mineiro side that includes superstars Robinho, Fred and the former Hoffenheim player Carlos Eduardo.
Two tournaments in one
Following the first round, six other teams will compete for a second Florida Cup from 15 January in a play-off mode. The teams are Corinthians SC, Vasco de Gama, FC São Paulo, Millionarios FC, River Plate from Buenos Aires plus SC Barcelona.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
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The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.
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Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.
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