The Soccer Champions Tour is expected to become a regular event on the preseason schedule.
Liverpool are predicted to travel to Southeast Asia this summer rather than the United States like many Premier League teams did.
The preseason is a period of campaign preparation during which managers have the opportunity to shape their squad and welcome new players.
But for the football clubs’ business departments, the preseason offers fantastic chances to maximize revenue streams and make sure they fulfill their obligations to current business partners. Some of the Reds’ most important partners, like Standard Chartered and AXA, are well-represented in Asia.
In order to address some of the problems that his team has faced during a trying season, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly focusing a lot on this coming summer. Additionally, with several expected new additions, it will be crucial for them to have time to integrate with the rest of the team.
As a four-point gap opened, Eddie Howe gave Liverpool a direct Champions League warning.
Away from the crowds, during the club’s preseason, Klopp values the opportunities he has to work closely with the players and foster squad ties. But elite clubs are accustomed to traveling the globe, and this summer’s trip—which is anticipated to include some time in Asia as it did last year—is an essential source of revenue for the Reds, especially after the coronavirus pandemic halted all preseason tour plans for two summers.
In 2026, the World Cup will be held in the United States, and with the country finally beginning to experience a “soccer” boom, a number of top European teams—many of which, like Liverpool, are owned by Americans—have set their sights on the country to boost their brand recognition at a time when interest in the sport is exploding.
The Reds last visited the US in 2019, traveling to South Bend, Boston, and New York. They are almost certain to return to the US at some point before the World Cup in three years because several important US commercial partners want to associate their brands with the team on US soil.
Football clubs can make a lot of money from summer tours, which investors have also recognized as having potential. The Soccer Champions Tour will begin in America this summer, and Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, and Manchester United are all scheduled to compete in the opening competition.
Liverpool will undoubtedly seek to participate in such a competition in the upcoming seasons due to the sold-out crowds, significant brand visibility in a rapidly expanding market with high consumer spending, and strong broadcast deals.
There will be opportunities to do so as well, as the competition is expected to become an annual event as a result of the launch of a new company by US global investment firm Sixth Street Partners, which owns investments in both Real Madrid and Barcelona, to host preseason matches between the top football clubs in Europe in America.
As the tour’s business partner, Legends, a Sixth Street portfolio company, will generate revenue from the games through the sale of merchandise, upscale accommodations, and sponsorships.
In the eight-game tournament, games will be played in eight different stadiums in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, and Orlando.
Sixth Street co-founder and CEO Alan Waxman said in a statement: “We are proud to be partnering with the world’s most illustrious clubs, which have the world’s strongest and most passionate fans, to provide this rare opportunity for American fans to experience the game at the highest level.
The US market is expected to continue to grow and become more valuable to European football clubs, particularly those in the Premier League, so a tour like this is likely to become a regular occurrence and the Reds will probably be given a seat at the table the next time they travel across the Atlantic.
