World-famous Manchester United is coming back to Chicago. And the Red Devils aren’t the only English team set to play this summer at Soldier Field.
The English Premier League announced Sunday that Chicago will be one of three cities to host Summer Series 2025 doubleheaders. On Wednesday, July 30, at Soldier Field, West Ham United is scheduled to face Everton, followed by Manchester United vs. AFC Bournemouth.
Other venues to host doubleheaders during the four-team, round-robin preseason tournament are New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (July 26) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Aug. 3).
Ticket registration for the matches is open at www.premierleague.com/summerseries, and general sales will launch at 9 a.m. on March 14 via Ticketmaster. Prices begin at $77.
“We are delighted to be bringing the Premier League Summer Series back to the United States. We know from our previous tournament and Premier League Mornings Live events that we and our clubs have incredibly loyal and passionate fans in the U.S. who get up early to follow their teams during the season,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said in a news release. “In these four clubs we have world-class players and managers who will undoubtedly give supporters a fantastic Premier League experience just before the season starts.”
Despite a downturn in recent years – and the possibility of finishing behind the three clubs accompanying them to the US this summer – Manchester United is England’s biggest brand stateside and one of the top draws worldwide.
Chicago has seen that firsthand, as the 20-time English champions have made three visits to Soldier Field this century, including a memorable 3-1 defeat of the Fire in 2011 in front of an announced crowd of 61,308. Manchester United last visited Chicago in 2015 when it lost 2-0 to Paris-Saint Germain, and also played Bayern Munich to a scoreless draw before losing in penalties in a dour 2004 match.
Those friendlies, albeit a crapshoot when it comes to their quality and number of star players participating, have a key role in engaging U.S. customers. Despite knowing the games are essentially meaningless, fans who don’t have the opportunity to travel to England to see their teams can watch them closer to home. Importantly for the clubs involved and event organizers, the fans are opening their wallets to witness warmups before the real season begins.
In addition, the Premier League and its clubs have used other methods to penetrate the American market, including working with broadcast partner NBC Sports to bring non-match events to big cities. Last fall, Chicago hosted its first Premier League Mornings Live, a two-day fan fest in Lincoln Park featuring live studio broadcasts and other ancillary activities.
According to the Premier League, more than 15,000 people attended the fan fest.