Barcelona, Chelsea, Man Utd set for US games

European heavyweights Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United will take part in this year’s International Champions Cup friendly tournament in the United States, organisers announced on Wednesday.

The 10-team line-up for the competition, won by United in 2014, also features Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Fiorentina, Mexico’s Club America, New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes.

The format for the tournament and the match venues have not yet been announced, but it will take place between July 11 and August 5, prior to the start of the 2015-16 European season.

Last year, United played Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup in front of a record crowd of over 109,000 in Michigan, illustrating the growing popularity of European teams in the US.

“Manchester United made history in its last visit to the United States by breaking the country’s soccer attendance record and the huge level of support for the club was evident in every city we visited,” said United managing director Richard Arnold in a statement.

“This tour will not only provide the team with first-rate preparation for the season ahead, it will also allow many of United’s eight million US followers to get closer to the club they love.”

Meanwhile, English side Tottenham Hotspur have announced that they will play the Major League Soccer All-Stars in a one-off friendly match in Denver on July 29.

“We’d like to thank Major League Soccer for the invitation to take part in the 2015 All-Star Game,” Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said in a press release.

“The fact that this will be our only fixture outside of Europe during pre-season says a lot about how we view this game.

“We know the quality of the facilities will be top-class and we see this fixture against the best players from MLS as good preparation.”

Spurs have also committed to a post-season tour of Malaysia and Australia.