For the third summer in a row, FC Barcelona are going to the United States for their preseason tour, with three top class fixtures scheduled against Manchester City on July 30, Real Madrid on August 3 and AC Milan on August 6, to be played in Orlando, New Jersey and Baltimore, respectively.
While last year’s tour was centred on the west of the country (Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Dallas), with the game in Santa Clara with Juventus cancelled due to illness in the squad, this year FC Barcelona will be touring the east, where the games will be accompanied by a series of institutional and social events to promote the club’s name in such an important market as the US.
The touring party departs Barcelona on July 28, ready for their first game two days later July 30 against Manchester City at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, which holds 60,219 spectators and was the venue for several group stage fixtures at the 1994 World Cup.
This will be the first time Barça have ever visited the Florida city, and the first time they have played the side coached by former FC Barcelona man Pep Guardiola in North America. The last meeting between the Catalans and the current Premier League and Champions League trophy holders was on 24-8-2022 at Spotify Camp Nou, a charity fundraiser for ALS research organised by Juan Carlos Unzué.
Fourth Clásico in the United States
Games between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have become a common feature of summer tours in recent years, and this year we have another on August 3. The venue is the 82,500 capacity Metlife Stadium, New Jersey, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets and venue for the World Cup Final in 2026. This will be the sixth time that Barça have played at the iconic venue and the fourth Clásico to be played in the USA.
Barça won all three of the previous encounters, 3-2 at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami in 2017, 1-0 at the Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas in 2022 and 3-0 at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington in 2023.
FC Barcelona will be ending their trip on August 6 in Baltimore, another city that the team has never visited before, although it won’t be their first stateside meeting with AC Milan, who they beat 1-0 at the Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas last summer. This year they’ll be playing the rossoneri at the 71,000 capacity M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens
All three games are part of the Soccer Champions Tour 2024, a friendly competition promoted by Sixth Street in association with Legends and AEG, and which is being contested for the second time this year, featuring Barça, their three direct opponents, and Chelsea.
United States, familiar territory
This will be the seventeenth time that Barça have toured the United States. The first was way back in 1937 and was an important tour that practically ensured the very survival of the club. Visits have become especially common in recent seasons, having happened in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018 (the year the men toured together with the women’s team), 2019, 2022 and 2023. In fact, last year, Barça crossed the Atlantic twice, for in addition to the summer tour, they also paid a visit to Dallas in December for a friendly with Club America of Mexico.
About Soccer Champions Tour
Soccer Champions Tour brings together the world’s most iconic clubs for annual fixtures in major cities across North America. Created by the global investment firm Sixth Street to empower partner clubs to tap into the increasing demand for the sport in the United States, the summer series delivers thrilling matches at the country’s leading venues. Soccer Champions Tour partners with the global premium experiences company, Legends, and leading sports and live entertainment company, AEG, to curate the most in-demand matches across world football to inspire new and long-time supporters alike. For more information, visit www.SoccerChampionsTour.com, and follow @TheSCTour on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter/X, for updates.