The United States has become a summer playground for many of the world’s premier soccer teams, and this year, Washington will welcome two elites: Barcelona and Manchester United.
Six years ago, Barcelona and Manchester United set an area attendance record for soccer by drawing 81,807 to the Landover venue. The Spanish powers also visited FedEx in 2015 by facing Chelsea in front of 78,914. A year earlier, Manchester United attracted 61,238 for a friendly against Inter Milan.
The issue always overshadowing these matches is whether the superstars will play significant minutes — or play at all — in largely inconsequential events. Typically, though, they do travel and play portions of matches. Some players, though, are excused if they’ve had a busy summer with their respective national teams.
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (Argentina), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) and Neymar (Brazil) are not involved in this summer’s most significant international competition, the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. Messi, the five-time world player of the year, has yet to play in Washington, despite three opportunities: Twice with Barcelona, he was on break after national team commitments, and two years ago, he accompanied his national team but missed the friendly against El Salvador with a foot ailment.
There is a conflict of sorts this year: Three days later, Barcelona will face Real Madrid in Miami — only the second overseas renewal of the world’s most revered sports rivalry. Hence, Barcelona seems likely to save its top figures for the Clasico showdown. The Catalan side will also play Juventus on July 22 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In this La Liga season, Barcelona is in a neck-and-neck race with Real with 10 matches left. Barca is also preparing for Juventus in the Champions League quarterfinals after a historic four-goal comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the round of 16 this month.
Manchester United is the Premier League’s most decorated club but hasn’t won the first-flight trophy since 2013. The Reds are 17 points behind Chelsea and in fifth place, the same position they finished last year. They’ll face Belgium’s Anderlecht in the second-tier Europa League quarterfinals.
The squad features one of the world’s top strikers, Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the world’s most expensive player, French midfielder Paul Pogba, whom United purchased from Juventus last summer in a $110 million transfer.
The eight teams entered in this year’s ICC in the United States are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma.
The ICC also will conduct matches in China, Singapore and Australia with the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester United will also play the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 15 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and Real Salt Lake on July 17 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
International Champions Cup schedule
July 19: Roma vs. PSG, venue tba
July 20: Manchester United vs. Manchester City, venue tba
July 22: Tottenham Hotspur vs. PSG in Orlando
July 22: Juventus vs. Barcelona in East Rutherford, N.J.
July 23: Real Madrid vs. Manchester United in Santa Clara, Calif.
July 25: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Roma in Harrison, N.J.
July 26: Barcelona vs. Manchester United in Landover, Md.
July 26: PSG vs. Juventus in Miami
July 26: Manchester City vs. Real Madrid in Los Angeles
July 29: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur in Nashville
July 29: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in Miami
July 30: Juventus vs. Roma in Foxborough, Mass.
ESPN outlets will provide coverage of the ICC matches.
