Liverpool fly to Chicago on Monday for a two-week pre-season tour of the United States.
It is a crucial trip for new head coach Andoni Iraola, as he looks to put his stamp on the squad he inherited from Arne Slot before the 2026-27 campaign.
As well as embarking on an intensive training schedule in sweltering temperatures, Liverpool will play three matches in Nashville, New York and Chicago.
Supporters are set to get their first glimpse of French defender Jeremy Jacquet after his arrival from Rennes, but fellow new signing Victor Munoz won’t be involved following his World Cup commitments with Spain.
The tour also carries great importance for Liverpool commercially, given their existing sponsorship deals with U.S.-based blue-chip brands and their growing fanbase across the country.
Here’s what to expect.
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Liverpool will use Chicago as their training base throughout the tour, flying to Nashville and New York the day before the games there and then returning to Illinois.
Their first friendly is against Sunderland at Nashville’s 30,000-capacity Geodis Park on Saturday, July 25 (5pm kick-off, 11pm in the UK).
Home to Major League Soccer club Nashville SC, it opened in 2022 and is the largest stadium dedicated solely to soccer across the U.S. Nashville’s vice-chairman is former Liverpool CEO Ian Ayre.
Iraola’s squad will then take on Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s Championship team Wrexham at New York’s Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, July 29 (7.30pm kick-off, 12.30am in the UK the following day).
It will be the third time Liverpool have played at the iconic Bronx venue, having faced Sporting CP there in 2019 and Manchester City in 2014.
Liverpool faced Man City at Yankee Stadium in 2014 (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
As well as Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, it is home to MLS team New York City FC. It promises to be a special occasion for Iraola, who played for the club towards the end of his career. Yankee Stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 for soccer matches.
The final match of the tour is against Leeds United at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sunday, August 2 (3pm kick-off, 9pm in the UK).
The multi-purpose stadium, home to NFL’s Chicago Bears and MLS’ Chicago Fire, holds 62,500 fans. Opened in 1924, it is the oldest stadium in the NFL and MLS. Liverpool previously played Olympiacos there on their 2014 pre-season tour.
Iraola’s squad will fly back to Merseyside straight after the game against Leeds, with their pre-season schedule concluding with Anfield friendlies against Monaco and Como on August 9 and 16 respectively.
Which players are going?
Liverpool will head to the U.S. without their eight-strong World Cup contingent of Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister and Munoz, who will instead be enjoying some time off following their tournament commitments.
But Gravenberch, Wirtz and Isak are expected to link up with the squad next weekend, before the final two games in New York and Chicago.
Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, who are still recovering from long-term injuries, are set to travel and continue their rehab in the States.
France Under-21 international Jacquet, who arrived in a £60million ($81m at current exchange rates) move from French club Rennes, is fit to feature after recovering from the shoulder injury which wrecked the second half of last season for him.
Liverpool fans will get their first glimpse of Jeremy Jacquet on the U.S. tour (Simon Wohlfahrt/ AFP via Getty Images)
In the absence of some senior players, the tour will provide the perfect stage for the club’s youngsters to try to force their way into Iraola’s plans. They should be inspired by the rise of teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, who kicked on impressively after shining during the tune-up trip to Hong Kong and Japan a year ago.
The squad has yet to be confirmed but Josh Abe, Will Wright, Kieran Morrison, James McConnell, Lewis Koumas, Josh Sonni-Lambie, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Luke Chambers and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are among those in the mix for selection. Young striker Jayden Danns needs to be assessed after feeling discomfort in his hamstring last week, while Kaide Gordon and Owen Beck are still undergoing rehab following injuries.
Harvey Elliott will be keen to catch Iraola’s eye in the U.S. after returning to Liverpool following a disappointing season-long loan at Aston Villa. Iraola will speak at a press conference to launch the tour in Chicago on Tuesday at 3pm (9am in the UK).
What does this tour mean to the club’s U.S. fanbase?
“We’re stoked to have Liverpool in town,” says Tripp Taraldsen, Official Liverpool Supporters’ Club (OLSC) Nashville secretary.
“Everyone is excited about the new manager and the start of a new era for the club. We know that a lot of star players will still be on vacation after the World Cup but it will be fun to see some of the up-and-coming youngsters get minutes. More than anything, we’re looking forward to the camaraderie from having Reds from all over the world coming to share the Liverpool experience with us.”
The Nashville-based 37-year-old works for a draught beer company and started following Liverpool after the 2006 World Cup. OLSC Nashville boast around 125 members and usually gather to watch games at sports bar Party Fowl, with numbers swelled each weekend by visiting fans.
“I’m also a Nashville season ticket holder and Geodis Park is a beautiful stadium,” he adds. “It keeps the noise in, so expect a great atmosphere. There’s also a safe-standing section behind the goal in the Kop section. This is a soccer town, so a warm welcome is guaranteed. It will be super hot — not just the temperature but also the humidity.”
Tripp Taraldsen, right, with wife Hilary (Photo courtesy of Tripp Taraldsen)
Ben Prout is OLSC Chicago president. The 29-year-old, who works for an accountancy firm, was born in the Cheshire town of Crewe, 50 miles from Liverpool, but has lived in Chicago for the past seven years.
“All my dad’s family are from Liverpool and are Reds, so I had no choice who I was going to support,” he says.
“We have around 1,500 members and for a lot of them this will be their first chance to watch Liverpool live. Even if you can afford to travel over to Anfield, it’s not easy to get tickets. As a branch, we only get around 70 across an entire season.
“Having Liverpool in Chicago will be extra special. There are similarities between the two cities — hard-working people who can be bristly, but also kind and genuine. Soldier Field is a historic venue. We can’t wait to see Iraola and the players up close.”
There are still standard admission tickets on sale for all three matches. In Nashville, they range from $129 to $392 (£96-£292), New York from $109 to $320, and Chicago from $114 to £358.
How important is the tour commercially?
It is huge.
Liverpool’s commercial growth has been boosted significantly in recent years by lucrative sponsorship deals with U.S.-based companies such as Expedia (their shirt sleeve sponsor), Google Pixel (mobile phone partner), UPS (global logistics and shipping partner) and Orion Innovation (digital transformation partner).
Earlier this year, the club announced a new global partnership with American fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger.
Liverpool have commercial staff permanently based in Boston and New York. This tour will be key in terms of enhancing existing relationships and trying to attract new business, especially off the back of the buzz created by the World Cup in the States.
Liverpool are beginning life under new coach Andoni Iraola (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
Club legends Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Phil Thompson and Tash Dowie will be on the trip to attend various meet-and-greet events with sponsors and supporters. LFC Foundation coaches will also be holding a number of football clinics for local youngsters.
Adidas will launch Liverpool’s new away kit at an event in Brooklyn on July 28, before the match against Wrexham 24 hours later.
On the tour of East Asia a year ago, Liverpool had to wear the previous season’s Nike strip and delayed confirming squad numbers as the new contract with Adidas didn’t start until August 1. There are no such constraints this time around.
