The English Premier League is set to announce its plans to hold a pre-season tournament in the United States.
Viral reports claimed that the Premier League will possibly host an ‘enhanced pre-season tournament’ in the United States next summer as part of their strategies to explore overseas markets and global extension.
The league is the highest level of the men’s English football league system in England.
The tournament is contested by 20 English clubs, which operate on a structure of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL).
The league seasons normally run from August to May with each football team playing 38 matches; playing all 19 other clubs in both home and away fixtures.
Moreover, most of the matches are played on weekends; Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.
On the other hand, the Premier League Pre-season is a football action organized by the EPL ruling body, to prepare the representative teams ahead of a new tournament season.
Premier League clubs played their last set of friendlies at late July ahead of the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Meanwhile, the league proposes to spread out and become bigger and more recognized worldwide than its original state and believes bringing next summer’s pre-season tournament abroad would flourish the league commercially in the long run.
According to football correspondent David Ornstein, the EPL ruling body is set to organize a pre-season competition in late July 2023/24 summer, in their prospect to expand the fun and excitement of the league for people abroad.
Meanwhile, the notion of playing Premier League fixtures in stadiums of foreign countries has often been discussed in recent years.
However, six clubs could travel to America to take part in the round-robin tournament, and they would be split into two groups of three teams.
The games would take place across multiple cities in the United States, and would likely benefit the teams and league greatly.
As it stands, 14 clubs out of the 20 Premier League teams have shown interest to participate even though it remains to be seen whether the big six; Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham, will participate.
However, there is the possibility that at least one of them will be included given there is no major tournament next summer and the world-class players will want to feature.
Moreover, It is expected that the league pre-season competition would sell out stadiums which will be broadcast on a potentially lucrative deal.
The tournament would also win people’s attention following the absence of major competitions, ahead of the USA’s preparations to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada
The tournament is not finalized yet but is expected to happen as it will be the first step on the roadmap for the league in terms of integrating significant events abroad.
