SOUTH LOOP – The Premier League is coming to Chicago this summer.
The English soccer league will host a double header July 30 at Soldier Field as part of the Premier League Summer Series, a pre-season tournament, the Chicago Sports Commission announced Sunday.
Manchester United, the second-most valuable soccer team on the planet, will be one of the teams competing in this summer’s double header. Soldier Field will host matches featuring West Ham United vs. Everton and Manchester United vs. AFC Bournemouth.
The matches are the second leg of the Summer Series, which sees four clubs compete in a round-robin style tournament across three cities in the United States. The first leg will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and the final leg will be hosted at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
This is the first time Chicago has hosted Premier League matches and the second time the Summer Series has taken place in the United States. New Jersey and Atlanta both hosted the Series in 2023, which saw six teams compete. Three other cities hosted the first tournament, including Washington, Philadelphia and Orlando.
This year, the lineup has been cut down to four teams competing in three host cities – including Chicago.
“Chicago is the greatest sports city in America, and I am thrilled to join the Chicago Sports Commission in welcoming the Premier League to Soldier Field this summer,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “This event will showcase the beauty and diversity of Chicago to viewers around the world and demonstrate our ability to host major high-profile events of all varieties.”
The first stateside series saw over 225,000 fans come out in attendance, the press release said. The Premier League is the most watched soccer league on the planet, with a viewership of 3.2 billion in 2019, according to Red Bull. Manchester United and West Ham United both have sizable fanbases in the United States.
The Premier League continues to grow in popularity in the United States. Last year, Lincoln Park played host to Premier League Mornings Live, a match day pregame show. Over 15,000 fans attended the two-day event, according to NBC Sports, the Premier League’s American broadcast partner.
“We are delighted to be bringing the Premier League Summer Series back to the United States,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said. “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. 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.”
West Ham vs Everton is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. July 30 followed by Manchester United vs. West Ham at 8:30 p.m. A single ticket will be good for entry to both matches.
The move to host the League at Soldier Field comes in the midst of a battle for the future of the stadium. Rumors that the Bears would move to the suburb of Arlington Heights were brought to the forefront of public discourse after the team purchased the 326-acre site of the former Arlington International Racecourse in early 2023 for $197 million.
Soldier Field is currently the home field for Chicago Fire FC and regularly hosts international and exhibition soccer matches.
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