Wrexham AFC, the Welsh soccer team owned by Philadelphia native Rob Mac (the former Rob McElhenney), is coming back to town this summer.
And this visit will be its highest-profile one yet.
Subaru Park will host a friendly between Wrexham and Sunderland of the English Premier League at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2. And the Red Dragons also could be a Premier League team by then. They’re currently sixth in England’s second-tier Championship with 11 games to go. If they hold on, they’d go into the playoffs for promotion to the top flight.
Wrexham will play three games in the U.S. this summer, all on the East Coast, with the final match here. It also will face Leeds United on July 25 at Tampa’s NFL stadium and Liverpool on July 29 at New York’s Yankee Stadium.
Wrexham last came to Subaru Park in the summer of 2023. At the time, the club had just been promoted from England’s fifth tier to its fourth, League Two, so it played the Union’s reserve team instead of a higher-level squad. But the game still drew around 15,000 fans, with the vast majority wearing red. Mac called it “a dream come true.”
Liverpool’s visits to the United States always draw big crowds, with Philadelphia among the examples. Two years ago, the Reds’ friendly against Arsenal drew 69,879 fans to Lincoln Financial Field, the largest soccer crowd in the stadium’s history. That record likely will stand for a while, since see some seats will removed near the field for security and logistics reasons because of the World Cup.
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Leeds coming over also will be of interest. It’s the first time the historic English club has come to the United States since its return to Premier League prominence in 2020. (In fact, it will be Leeds’ first visit to the U.S. in 29 years.)
It could also be the first time Medford native Brenden Aaronson plays in the U.S. with Leeds, if he stays at the club through the summer and depending on his summer schedule post-World Cup.
After facing Wrexham, Leeds will play Sunderland in Harrison, N.J., on July 30, just 11 days after the World Cup final in nearby East Rutherford. They’ll then head to Chicago to play Liverpool at Soldier Field on Aug. 2.
The Union are off on July 30, which would make it easier for fans around here who want to see Aaronson play in person.
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Kickoff times and broadcast details aren’t set yet.
All of the games are being run by TEG Sport, the promoter that brought Arsenal-Liverpool here. The company will open up presale tickets on March 10, and fans can register here. Sales to the general public will start March 12.
The full schedule of games in the tour is below.
Saturday, July 25: Wrexham vs. Leeds United at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.; Liverpool vs. Sunderland at GEODIS Park, Nashville
Wednesday, July 29: Liverpool vs Wrexham at Yankee Stadium, New York
Thursday July 30: Leeds United vs. Sunderland at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, N.J.
Sunday, Aug. 2: Sunderland vs. Wrexham at Subaru Park; Leeds United vs Liverpool at Soldier Field, Chicago.
