Preparations for the 2023-24 season are well underway, and several European clubs are heading to the United States for their pre-season tours. Two pre-season tournaments, the Premier League’s Summer Series and the Soccer Champions Tour, are taking place in various cities across the country. Additionally, several independent pre-season friendlies are scheduled, featuring teams like Borussia Dortmund and Wrexham. Let’s take a closer look at which clubs are heading Stateside and who they will be playing.
Premier League Summer Series
The inaugural Premier League Summer Series is hosting six teams across five major East Coast cities. Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Fulham, and Newcastle will be participating in this tournament. This marks the first time the Premier League has hosted a pre-season tournament in the U.S. In addition to their participation in the Summer Series, Chelsea will also play friendlies against Wrexham and Borussia Dortmund.
Soccer Champions Tour
Arsenal and Manchester United are both competing in the Soccer Champions Tour, a six-team tournament featuring Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, and AC Milan. However, they will only play one fixture each in the series. Both teams have also organized independent friendlies during their time in the U.S. Arsenal will face an MLS All-Stars team managed by Wayne Rooney, while Manchester United will play against Wrexham and Borussia Dortmund. The two teams will also face each other in New Jersey, marking their first meeting in the U.S.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is touring the U.S. for the first time since 2016. They will play Colombian side Millonarios FC in the Chicago Nations Cup, a one-off fixture at the SeatGeek Stadium. Additionally, they have a friendly scheduled against Europa League champions Sevilla in Detroit.
Barcelona and Real Madrid
Barcelona and Real Madrid are returning to the U.S. for pre-season for the second consecutive summer. They are representing La Liga in the Soccer Champions Tour. The series consists of eight matches across eight locations in the U.S. Barcelona and Real Madrid will each play four fixtures, the most among the six teams in the tournament.
AC Milan and Juventus
AC Milan and Juventus complete the six-team lineup for the Soccer Champions Tour. This tournament marks the first time these six European teams, with a combined 31 European titles, have participated in a U.S. series together. AC Milan and Juventus will each play three fixtures during the series.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund, last season’s Bundesliga runners-up, have lined up three friendlies for their pre-season tour of the U.S. They will play against Premier League teams Chelsea and Manchester United, as well as United Soccer League Championship side San Diego Loyal. This tour marks Dortmund’s return to the U.S. for pre-season since 2019.
Wrexham
Fresh from winning promotion back to the English Football League (EFL), Wrexham is heading to the U.S. for four pre-season friendlies. This is an opportunity for the club to capitalize on their newfound supporter base thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ownership and the “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary cameras.
As the preparations for the 2023-24 season continue, these pre-season tours provide an excellent opportunity for European clubs to showcase their talents and prepare for the upcoming campaign. Fans in the U.S. will have the chance to see some of the biggest teams in action, creating excitement and anticipation for the new season.