La Liga announces plans for summer tour of USA and Mexico | OneFootball

La Liga has announced plans for a first summer tour of the United States and Mexico beginning later this year.

The league’s latest development strategy is organised by Relevent Sports – one of the most influential privately-owned international football companies in the world.

It will feature friendly matches between some of the division’s ‘legendary’ clubs.

However, it is understood that Real Madrid and Barcelona, who meet in El Clasico this weekend, are not expected to compete in the tour.

The tour is aimed at establishing a footprint of the Spanish top-flight division in key markets, including North America, and provide fans with an opportunity to watch some of the league’s best players and teams compete in their own backyard.

The games will take place in various cities across the United States and Mexico and are expected to attract a large number of fans from different parts of the country.

A statement from La Liga said: “The summer tour is part of La Liga and its clubs’ strategy to grow the Spanish Professional League’s footprint in the United States and Mexico.

“The tour will make its first stop in 2023 in the United States and Mexico. It will continue the strategy to develop and grow the league, its clubs, and competitions in North American markets.

“The United States and Mexico represent an important opportunity for La Liga and its clubs in brand and business development, especially in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2016.”

The 2023 summer tour will take place during the first week of August, and the teams and cities where the friendly matches will take place will be announced in the coming days.

La Liga is not alone in its quest to grow viewership in the American market. Premier League club Manchester United have also confirmed that their pre-season tour scheduled for later this year will take place in the US.

It will be the first time the Red Devils prepare for a new campaign in North America since the summer of 2018, when they visited five US states, including Arizona, California and Miami.