How International Soccer Friendlies Boost Visitation for Destinations

The growth of international club soccer friendlies has increased dramatically in recent years with the formation of unofficial tournaments and multi-city tours, spreading international sports tourism throughout destinations across the United States.

All are in the name of branding — for the clubs, the leagues and the chance to work name recognition into the U.S. market on the verge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. One of the more established events, The Soccer Champions Tour, will involve Spain’s Real Madrid and Barcelona, Italy’s AC Milan and England’s Manchester City and Chelsea with matches throughout the East and Midwestern United States. This year’s summer even includes Arsenal’s women’s team for the first time in the U.S.

But several clubs also work with other promoters to find bespoke schedules of their own. TEG Sports has organized friendlies throughout the U.S. for Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in a series of traditional big cities such as Los Angeles and Philadelphia. TEG also placed one of its spotlight matches — rivals Liverpool and Manchester United — in a new market: Columbia, South Carolina, where football often means something much different.

A Different Football

Williams-Brice Stadium is often packed for football — the American kind. Home of the Southeastern Conference’s Gamecocks, the announcement of Columbia to host two of the bigger names in European club football was an eye-opener.

How the United-Liverpool game was placed in South Carolina was based in part on something that every event organizer and destination can appreciate: A personal relationship. Chance Miller, senior deputy athletics director at South Carolina, has a prior relationship with Hugh Nicholson from TEG Sport.

“(TEG Sport) knew Philadelphia and L.A. were going to take care of themselves,” said Scott Powers, executive director of Experience Columbia SC Sports. “They’ve done these types of events there before, but they wanted to see can English Premier League soccer teams capture that Southern football passion, similar passions for two completely different sports.”

The university first reached out to Powers in early December as talks for a friendly match were getting serious and told him the opportunity was real.

“I told them ‘we’re all in,’” Powers said. “I didn’t need to see a list of what the demands were, I would figure it out. When they told me the two teams — I would have been excited anyway for two EPL teams to be coming to Columbia — but Manchester United and Liverpool playing in Columbia right before their season starts, whoo boy.”

Williams-Brice Stadium has undergone substantial upgrades to the fan experience over recent years as part of the ever-continuing college facilities race, with flashing light shows and more for night games that catch social media buzz. Utilizing that type of experience with the game scheduled for prime time, “as soon as it was announced, every hotel room in Columbia sold out on Saturday night,” Powers said.

Ticket demand has been varied between locals, fans throughout the Southeast (especially Atlanta) and more. Powers and those in Columbia also know it’s a massive chance to make a big impression that could pay off down the road.

“They were taking a bigger chance on Columbia than Philadelphia,” said Powers, who admits to being a Manchester United fan. “We’re documenting everything that we can about this event and what we put into it, fan engagements we’ve had, responses from spectators and visitors, information from people that are staying in hotels or eating in restaurants, what they thought that helps make us better for future events.”

The number of different settings on college campuses has grown along with the number of preseason friendlies in the United States. Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, will host Manchester City and Celtic of the Scottish Premier League on July 23 while Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana hosts Chelsea and Celtic on July 27.

Ohio Stadium in Columbus will also host Chelsea on August 3 against Manchester City. Linda Logan, chief executive officer of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, said 30,000 tickets for the game were sold on the first day they were available to the public.

“We know on the sports tourism side how excited it is to be able to have this opportunity,” said Logan, whose destination will also host next weekend’s MLS All-Star Game and a Columbus Crew vs. Aston Villa friendly on July 27. “The business community is really excited; they’re all finding ways to entertain and bring in potential economic development partners to see the city in a different light. Not only are they encouraging people to buy suites, entertain and bring people who haven’t been in the city before, but also (to) consider what the economic reach is.”

Premier Opportunities

While the range of clubs playing in the United States is across Europe, there is one country — and league in particular — that does rise above others for estimated economic impact.

“We find the English Premier League is the most recognizable,” said Terry Hasseltine, executive director of the Maryland Sports Commission and vice president of the Maryland Stadium Authority. “Even those who might be novices to the game know what the English Premier League is. When you start getting into the different aspects of other leagues, not as much global awareness. It takes a little bit more marketing, a little bit more strategy sometimes to build up the excitement. The Premier League is a worldwide brand and everybody recognizes and it creates instant connectivity.”

Maryland will host two Premier League clubs on July 31 when Wolves and Crystal Palace play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis as part of an Elite Promotions Group event called The Stateside Cup. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will host Barcelona and AC Milan in the Soccer Champions Tour on August 6.

“It really drives the fan base of the clubs into our market and allows us to connect with our community at higher levels,” Hasseltine said. “It also puts the Maryland name in the international marketplace on other opportunities that we’re trying to pursue and keeping that international relationship, showing that we’re a leader in the sports tourism industry helps us when we go internationally to talk to federations that they can see we do large-scale events.”

Promoting Local Partnerships

The sponsorship angle in hosting clubs also is a major factor. Manchester United’s sponsorship with Snapdragon, based in San Diego, led to the Premier League club playing Wrexham of FX fame last summer. Manchester United will re-visit San Diego on July 31 against La Liga’s Real Betis.

“Manchester United and Wrexham, 71 percent of the tickets were purchased outside of San Diego,” said Nathan Kopp, Sports San Diego vice president for strategic initiatives. “It was an incredible opportunity for San Diego. We wouldn’t have a relationship with Manchester United without (Snapdragon). Snapdragon and Qualcomm said they’d love to do a match in San Diego and that’s how the relationship started.”

That match will be Real Betis’ second in six days in the U.S.; it plays another Premier League superpower, Liverpool, on July 26 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

“It means huge international exposure through social media,” said SportsPittsburgh Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins. “And it’s another opportunity for SportsPittsburgh and Visit Pittsburgh to be in association with the Steelers, with Liverpool, with Real Betis. It’s a name play for our local audience as well.”

There’s also a local tie through the international friendly; “Knowing the Fenway Group is directly tied with Liverpool and right here in our backyard (as owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins), putting us in the conversation with those brands is a win for us,” Hawkins said. “Bringing the number of people that is expected into town will be a win for everyone.”

U.S. Summer of Soccer Tour Highlights

July 20: Wrexham AFC v AFC Bournemouth, Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, California
July 23: Manchester City vs. Celtic, Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
July 24: Wrexham AFC v Chelsea, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
July 26: Liverpool v Real Betis, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
July 27: Arsenal v Manchester United, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California
July 27: Manchester City vs. AC Milan, Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
July 27: Wrexham AFC v Vancouver Whitecaps FC, BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia
July 27: West Ham vs. Wolves, EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
July 27: Chelsea vs. Celtic, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
July 27: Aston Villa vs. Columbus, Lower.com Field, Columbus
July 30: Barcelona vs. Manchester City, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
July 31: Liverpool v Arsenal, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 31: Manchester United v Real Betis, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
July 31: AC Milan vs. Real Madrid, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
July 31: Wolves vs. Crystal Palace, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
July 31: Chelsea vs. Club America, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Charlotte
July 31: Aston Villa vs. RB Leipzig, Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
August 3: Manchester United v Liverpool, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
August 3: Manchester City vs. Chelsea, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
August 3: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
August 3: West Ham vs. Crystal Palace, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
August 3: Aston Villa vs. Club America, Soldier Field, Chicago
August 6: Chelsea vs. Real Madrid, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
August 6: Barcelona vs. AC Milan, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland