Premier League clubs launch global pre-season tour as World Cup concludes
Clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool have announced extensive pre-season schedules across Asia, North America, and Europe, while Xabi Alonso prepares to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
Premier League clubs have commenced pre-season training and announced their friendly schedules while the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains in progress. The league is scheduled to resume on 21 August, following the conclusion of the international tournament. Fixtures are being held globally, with matches confirmed in Hong Kong, New York, Jakarta, Sydney, and various European cities. A notable early fixture is the FA Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City in Cardiff on 16 August.
Concurrently, Chelsea have appointed Xabi Alonso as manager, with his contract commencing on 1 July, replacing interim manager Calum McFarlane. The club has also agreed to a record £117m transfer for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who will join the club post-World Cup.
Arsenal’s schedule includes matches against Girona, Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund, and Como, alongside the Community Shield. Chelsea are playing matches in Sydney against Tottenham and West Sydney Wanderers, as well as fixtures in Hong Kong and Jakarta. Manchester United have played a pre-season friendly against Wrexham (0-1 loss) and Rosenborg, with upcoming matches against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United, and AC Milan.
Liverpool are playing matches in Nashville, New York, and Chicago, with domestic fixtures against Monaco and Como. Several matches are listed as being played "behind closed doors," including Bournemouth v Genoa, Brighton v Annecy, Brighton v Strasbourg, and Tottenham v Getafe.
The detailed pre-season schedules have been released for multiple Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Coventry, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur.
