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Garden State 'El Clasico': Real Madrid, FC Barcelona To Play At MetLife Stadium This Summer

One of the most famous sports rivalries in the world is coming to the Garden State this summer.

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid play in a friendly match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Friday, July 26, 2019.

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid play in a friendly match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Friday, July 26, 2019.

Photo Credit: Chris Spiker

Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona will play an edition of 'El Clasico' at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 3, the Spanish soccer clubs announced on Tuesday, Mar. 19. Two of La Liga's biggest powerhouses will hold the friendly match as part of a preseason summer U.S. tour.

This will be the fourth edition of Spain's most historic rivalry played in the U.S. The first was at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, with Lionel Messi and Barcelona defeating their Madrid rivals 3-2 on Monday, July 29, 2017.

Barcelona and Real Madrid also took part in a U.S. summer tour in 2023. They brought 'El Clasico' to the Lone Star State and Barça won 3-0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Real Madrid last played at MetLife Stadium against their other major rival Atletico Madrid on Friday, July 26, 2019. Atleti dominated this edition of 'El Derbi Madrileño' (The Madrid Derby) in a high-scoring 7-3 match.

While not in East Rutherford, Barcelona last played in New Jersey against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Saturday, July 30, 2022. The Major League Soccer side lost 2-0 to the powerful squad from Catalonia.

The Jersey 'El Clasico' will be one of six matches in the Soccer Champions Tour. The summer series begins across the Hudson River at Yankee Stadium when U.S. star Christian Pulisic's club AC Milan plays Premier League giants Manchester City on Saturday, July 27.

Barcelona will also play Manchester City at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Tuesday, July 30, and AC Milan at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Real Madrid will take on AC Milan at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday, July 31, and Chelsea FC at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

The Soccer Champions Tour said general ticket sales will begin on Wednesday, Mar. 27. You can also sign up on the tour's website for exclusive opportunities and presale information.

This summer soccer series is the latest as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada. MetLife Stadium was announced on Sunday, Feb. 4 as the host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Liverpool FC, Manchester United FC, and Arsenal FC are facing each other in a separate summer tour. Arsenal and Manchester United will hold a friendly at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Saturday, July 27.

Liverpool will play Arsenal at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 31, and Manchester United at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, Aug. 3.

In addition to the summer club friendlies, the U.S. will host the 2024 Copa América. The South American competition will also include invited national teams like the U.S., Mexico, Panama, and Jamaica.

MetLife Stadium will host two Copa América group stage matches. Chile will take on reigning World Cup champions Argentina on Tuesday, June 25, and Uruguay will face Bolivia on Thursday, June 27.

Copa América will also hold a semifinal match in East Rutherford on Tuesday, July 9.

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