It may have been a long, hard season for a lot of Premier League teams, but many will be heading around the world for a pre-season tour in preparation for a huge 2024/2025 season.
Some teams are heading off straight away after this season to their pre-season (or should that be post-season) tours of Japan and Australia, but most of the American fixtures are when things are ramping up in time for the biggest domestic league to kick off again.
The commercial appeal of the Premier League and its biggest teams is in full force again. If someone is looking for a betslip for football fixtures in July and August, after the European Championship has finished, they might notice some fixtures between the heavy hitters of English football and other huge teams.
Travelling around the world for friendlies has become a theme. In a similar way to American sports teams noticing that there is a market to watch their fixtures in London, the Premier League teams are heading to places where the league is popular. Club chiefs are undeniably behind this, and it is a profitable exercise for spreading the brand.
Which Teams Are Heading to the US?
Not every team in the Premier League is heading Stateside. Currently, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City have announced fixtures that will take place in numerous locations around the US.
They will play other EPL teams as well as local teams and teams from other countries, all in friendly exhibitions, so don’t expect too many crunching tackles or bust-ups (though you never know).
Many of the teams could be bedding new signings into their squads, and in particular, we may see a very different looking Manchester United side. Ineos have arrived as new minority owners at Old Trafford and speculation has suggested offers will be listened to for almost all of their senior squad. These kind of fixtures are always useful for teams who have made a lot of changes. As well as testing them by playing other Premier League teams they will also be playing teams from other leagues including the MLS, who will be well into their season by then.
Standout Fixtures
Let’s have a look at some of the games that are lined up and where they’ll be taking place. We expect there to be big crowds at some of these games, so don’t be surprised if they feel more like competitive games than friendlies.
Chelsea v Wrexham (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, 24th July)
If somebody had told you a few years ago that Wrexham would be a star attraction at these kinds of events, you would have probably laughed. The Ryan Reynolds factor has turned Wrexham into a Hollywood attraction, and when they play Chelsea in Santa Clara, there is bound to be a huge turnout, including Deadpool himself.
Wrexham have just been promoted to League 1, but off the back of their investment from the superstar actors Reynolds and McElhenny, they are soaring, and are likely to continue on the path towards the top. This is probably a guaranteed sell out.
Liverpool v Manchester Utd (Williams – Brice Stadium, South Carolina, 3rd August)
Earlier in the article, we said that there might not be too much fire in these games, but this may not be true when Liverpool face off against Manchester United in South Carolina. As well as getting a huge attendance (probably) it is likely that these old rivals will treat this like any other game. With the memories of recent games against Manchester United that derailed their 2023/24 campaign, Liverpool will be out to make a statement in this summer showdown.
There’s really no such thing as a “friendly match” when these guys are involved, right?
Manchester City v Barcelona (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 30th July)
Americans looking to see some of the very best teams and players in the world will be wise to book tickets to see Manchester City against Barcelona. Though neither team will be winning the Champions League this year, they are still two of the very best teams on the planet right now and are packed with young stars.
The likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski and teen sensation Lamine Yamal will probably be involved in the game. How often do people get the chance to see these guys play outside of European stadiums?
Though there won’t be too much riding on these games, the teams involved will want to take them seriously in preparation for when the real stuff begins back in the UK. Americans also have the chance to see the likes of Celtic, AC Milan, and some other huge teams touring in the summer.
Read – Ranking the best young players in world football right now
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