Barcelona will embark on a preseason tour to the United States in August, where they are set to face off against Real Madrid in New Jersey as confirmed by the Spanish champions. Additionally, Barça will play Manchester City in Orlando and AC Milan in Baltimore as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2024-25 LaLiga campaign.
The tour will kick off on July 30 with a match against English champions Manchester City at the Camping World Stadium in Florida. The encounter with City will be particularly intriguing as they are managed by former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Following this, Barcelona will head north to take on arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Metlife Stadium on August 3.
This will mark the fourth time the Clásico will be contested in the United States, showcasing the growing popularity of both clubs in North America. Barcelona has emerged victorious in all three previous U.S. encounters against Real Madrid, with wins in Miami (2017), Las Vegas (2022), and Dallas (2023).
After the highly anticipated El Clásico, Barcelona will conclude their U.S. tour by facing Italian side AC Milan on August 6 at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The appointment of Barcelona's manager for the summer remains uncertain, with current coach Xavi Hernández announcing his decision to step down at the end of the season.
It is worth noting that the availability of certain players for the tour may be impacted by their participation in international tournaments such as Euro 2024, the Copa America, and the Olympics.
Barcelona is currently in contention in both LaLiga and the Champions League this season. They are trailing league leaders Real Madrid by eight points with nine games remaining in LaLiga. The two teams are scheduled to meet in LaLiga for the second time this season at the Bernabéu on April 21.
Real Madrid emerged victorious in the reverse fixture at the Olympic Stadium in October with a 2-1 win, and they also defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the Spanish Supercopa final in Saudi Arabia in January. In the Champions League, Barcelona is set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals in April.
