Premier League giants Man City, Chelsea, and Man United headline action-packed weekend of pre-season friendlies
By Luke Oluoch, July 31, 2026Pre-season preparations for the 2026/27 European campaign reach a fever pitch this weekend as top English Premier League sides take centre stage in friendly showdowns and continental warm-ups across the globe.
With the domestic kickoff looming on August 22, 2026, clubs are busy tweaking tactics, integrating new summer signings, and ramping up match fitness for the upcoming season.
The action kicks off on Friday, 31 July 2026, with several compelling matchups.
At 9:45 pm, two fascinating friendlies will be on the cards: Nottingham Forest travels to Faro, Portugal, for a stern test against Portuguese champions. Sporting CP, while League One side Birmingham City hosts Catalan giants Barcelona at St Andrew’s in a massive occasion for the Blues as Hansi Flick calibrates his squad for La Liga.
Saturday, 1 August 2026, will deliver a blockbuster slate of pre-season fixtures, headlined by an all-London clash down under and high-profile European heavyweight battles.
Action gets underway early at 12:45 pm as London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur square off in Sydney, Australia, bringing derby intensity to their pre-season preparation.
At 2:30 pm, Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City revisits their UEFA Champions League rivalry against Inter Milan in Hong Kong. The excitement continues at 4:00 pm in Stockholm, Sweden, where Manchester United lock horns with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
The English heavyweight hopes for similar tidings after a successful outing against Rosenborg in their recent pre-season game.
Later in the evening, Real Madrid takes on Fiorentina at 7:00 pm before Arsenal travel to Spain to face La Liga’s surprise package Girona at 9:00 pm, with Mikel Arteta aiming to fine-tune his pressing structure.
The football weekend wraps up on Sunday, 2 August 2026, with exciting cross-tier battles and competitive silverware in the Netherlands.
At 4:00 pm, Feyenoord hosts Atalanta, followed by competitive action at 7:00 pm when PSV Eindhoven faces AZ Alkmaar in the Johan Cruyff Shield.
Simultaneously at 7:00 pm, Sunderland continue their US tour in Philadelphia against Hollywood-backed Wrexham.
Finally, closing out the weekend at 11:00 pm in Chicago, Arne Slot’s Liverpool face newly promoted Leeds United in an all-English showdown on American soil.
The encounter will be the Reds’ second after their victory over Wrexham AFC, with Iraiola continuing to assess his squad ahead of the new league season.