Premier League preseason tournament matches coming to Philly this summer

The English Premier League announced its first preseason tournament in the U.S. on Tuesday, with six teams playing exhibition matches at Lincoln Financial Field and four other venues across the East Coast this July.

The teams playing in the Premier League Summer Series will be Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham, and Newcastle United.

The current season of the league wraps up on May 28. While none of the teams in the summer series are viable contenders in the title race, Chelsea is still competing in the European UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, while Brighton is in the semifinals of the English FA Cup.

Hershey-native and U.S. national team star Christian Pulisic is currently on Chelsea’s squad, though reports have suggested that he will be moving on from the London club at the end of this season.

Chelsea was organizing its preseason training camp in Philly this summer, London’s Evening Standard reported in March.

Other American players who could feature in the summer tournament are goalkeeper Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, along with Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson of Fulham.

Members of Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup winning squad in the competing teams should include goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, and midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández.

Philadelphians can look forward to more World Cup action when the city helps to host the 2026 edition of the men’s tournament along with 15 other cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The women’s World Cup takes place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, starting July 20.

The Premier League has been one of the most-followed soccer leagues across the country and the world. NBC, the league’s broadcaster in the U.S., will air the summer series on its TV and streaming services. Back in October, the network hosted a packed fan fest at Dilworth Park, after previously having to cancel its visit in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season,” said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. “We have seen this dedication first-hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.”

The tournament will kick off at the Linc on Saturday, July 22, when Chelsea will play Brighton at 7 p.m. The next day, Fulham will face Brentford at 4 p.m., followed by Newcastle taking on Aston Villa at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s match will coincide with the Philadelphia Union’s League Cup match against Club Tijuana, though the time for the match at Subaru Park in Chester has not been confirmed yet.

The remaining games are as follows:

• Wednesday, July 26 | 5:30 p.m.
  Brentford vs. Brighton at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
• Wednesday, July 26 | 7 p.m.
  Fulham vs Aston Villa at Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
• Wednesday, July 26 | 8:15 p.m.
  Chelsea vs Newcastle United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Friday, July 28 | 7:30 p.m.
  Brighton & Hove Albion vs Newcastle United at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J
• Sunday, July 30 | 12 p.m., 2:45 p.m.
  Aston Villa vs Brentford and Chelsea vs Fulham at FedExField in Landover, Md.

Along with the matches, there will be preseason training camps, and “a range of events for fans and local community groups,” the league’s release stated.

Tickets will be available via pre-sale on April 25 and on general sale April 26. Fans can register for a priority booking window for tickets, and receive updates about the games and supporting events on the league’s website.