It became a tradition that top European clubs go to international pre-season tours, usually overseas. Similarly to last season, Barcelona travel to the United States to prepare for the upcoming campaign and clash with other top sides of Europe’s elite, for the joy of the American fans.
Barcelona will participate in a friendly tournament called Soccer Champions Tour 2023, joining several European big guns. Namely, their opponents will be two Italian greats in Juventus and Milan, last year’s Premier League runner-up Arsenal and the Blaugrana’s eternal rivals, Real Madrid.
Now, the club has confirmed all the dates of the tour. On July 19, the Catalan squad will travel to the United States to begin the pre-season tour. Afterwards, the team will face the above-mentioned quartet of Juventus, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, who will be the first opponents of the Catalan side heading into the new season.
Barcelona – Juventus
July 23, 4:30 AM CEST
The first opponent of the Blaugranas will be the most successful Italian side in history, Juventus. The Torino-based team had a rollercoaster of a season, having been punished twice during the campaign. In the end, with the final 10-point deduction, they finished just outside of the European spots, on the 7th place.
The game against the ‘Old Lady’ will be played in Santa Clara, state of California, at the Levis Stadium that has a capacity of 72,864. The match starts at 7:30 PM local time, which translates to 4:30 AM in the morning for the European followers.
Arsenal – Barcelona
July 27, 4:30 AM CEST
The second game of the Blaugrana will be against Premier League runner-up Arsenal. After years of rebuilding, Mikel Arteta’s team was finally a proper competitor for the league title, leading the table for the majority of the season. However, Manchester City proved unstoppable in the final part of the season, but still, the silver medal shows that this team has a bright future.
The game against Arsenal will be played at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, also in the state of California. The match will start at the same local time, so it will be seen from 4:30 AM in Spain as well.
Barcelona – Real Madrid
July 29, 11:00 AM CEST
Similarly to last year, the rivalry of the Spanish giants brings another iconic duel to the United States, with the Catalans having triumphed in Vegas last time. Last season, there have been plenty of encounters between the two, 5 exactly, with a 3-2 victory rate in favor of Barcelona.
The summer Clásico will be played at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, state of Texas. It is the only match that will be played in a reasonable hour for the Spanish fans, given the magnitude of the game, from 4:00 PM local time that translates to 11:00 AM CEST.
AC Milan – Barcelona
August 2, 5:00 AM CEST
Concluding the preseason tour, Barcelona will meet AC Milan in Las Vegas. The Rossoneri who were crowned champions of Italy in 2022, finished 4th this season, clinching the last Champions League spot in Serie A. Also, they made it into the top 4 in the Champions League, being knocked out by city rivals Inter in the semis.
The match between Barcelona and Milan will be played at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, state of Nevada. The Catalans also visited the city a year ago, clashing with Real Madrid that time. Now, in the home of the American football team Las Vegas Raiders, they will meet Milan, at 5:00 AM in the morning for the fans at home in Spain.
