But there is no such novelty when it comes to the jerseys of the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City. They are standard attire in all pockets of the world - and in less than a year they are set to be flooding the MCG.

While it is possible to quibble whether the sport should be referred to in Australia as football or soccer - the latter to differentiate it from Australian football - there can be no argument the code is a significant one here.

European soccer has long had a passionate following in Australia, but with the proliferation of overseas leagues broadcast on pay TV and the deluge of news available daily through the internet, the number of ardent fans is significant.

Anyone with any doubt as to that need look only at the 95,446 fans who flocked to the MCG last year for an exhibition match between English Premier League giant Liverpool and Melbourne Victory.

When clubs the calibre of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City are mentioned, the setting could well be the last four of the European Champions League. To have them playing in Melbourne at all should thrill not only ardent fans but anyone with an appreciation of sport. This is a big deal.

All four of the major clubs mentioned, especially the fierce Spanish rivals, have rich histories to complement their status.

For the likes of these clubs, no one is off-limits. Real Madrid has long proved that with recruits such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez, whose transfer to the club seemed inevitable after his World Cup heroics for Colombia.

Barcelona boasts goalscoring wizards Lionel Messi and Neymar, a swath of midfielders who delight purists of the game, and flawed goalscoring genius Luis Suarez.

Multimillion-dollar investments from tycoons have helped Chelsea and Manchester City surge back to title-winning performances in England, and also to contend for the Champions League, but with coaches as well reputed as Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini, and even bench-warming players who would be key cogs in many other Premier League teams, their quality is undeniable.

Melburnians can watch the best Aussie Rules footballers every week, and this summer will get a chance to watch all of the world's best cricketers for the first time since 1992 as part of the World Cup.

The International Champions Cup soccer tournament has little history and is geared around building up the fitness and coffers of these teams. But it doesn't matter why these teams will be in Melbourne, just that they are.

Many sports fans, even those who do not rate soccer as their preferred sport, will be clamouring for tickets. And for those who have been unable to watch their beloved teams live before, the clamour is likely to be frantic, irrespective of the ticket prices.