The World Cup is coming to the United States this summer, and Chicago won’t be a part of it. Aside from a U.S.-Germany friendly match this weekend, the Windy City is unfortunately missing out on the most exciting month American soccer has ever seen.
But that doesn’t mean Chicago will be totally void of high-level soccer this summer. As is often the case these days, two Premier League clubs will come to Soldier Field later this summer, with Liverpool set to face Leeds on August 2nd.
Former Liverpool and Wales striker Ian Rush spoke with MIR97 Media earlier this spring with an eye toward the summer to come.
Annual Business
Though the United States have always been perceived as being on the outside looking in when it comes to global football, the phenomenon of European teams making summer visits to North America is nothing new. Pre-season tours to the U.S. have been a regular feature since the 1960s, but in recent decades they have truly become a staple of the football calendar that is reflective of the sport’s massive growth in popularity here.
“The US has always been big,” Rush said. “I remember going there for the World Cup in 1994, when people weren't really expecting it. You go back now and it's gone from strength to strength. The soccer leagues are getting stronger as well, and teams are looking for supporters in America because it's such a big place.”
In the last few years, Chicago has been one of the cities at the center of that growth, even though it withdrew from hosting this year’s World Cup. The Chicago Fire have seen immense growth under owner Joe Mansueto and will open their own downtown soccer-specific stadium in two years. Matches at Soldier Field draw huge crowds, including the announced 58,927 attendance at last July’s doubleheader of Everton-West Ham and Manchester United-Bournemouth.
Even if stateside friendlies are nothing new, involvement of smaller Premier League clubs certainly is. Like the aforementioned West Ham and Bournemouth – two comparatively tiny clubs without a big global footprint, but who still drew some fans to the game – Leeds will be involved in this year’s friendly against Liverpool.
“I think it's getting bigger and bigger, isn't it? To actually go over there to America and have Liverpool playing there makes it something special for the supporters. The growth of football in the United States over the last few decades has been amazing to see.”
Preseason Opportunities
This preseason will hold some extra weight for Liverpool, who are in a moment of transition after sacking manager Arne Slot last week. The Reds appear set to finalize a move for star ex-Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who managed the Cherries at Soldier Field last season and recently guided them to their first European qualification in club history.
For the players hoping to see the field at Anfield this season, this means there is a clean slate, heightening the importance of preseason. That goes from the players at the top hoping to establish themselves as leaders in the team, but also to academy players hoping to gain a regular presence in the first team. With a new manager coming, being a part of the U.S. trip is even more essential.
“When you come back for preseason, that's really the start of your year,” Rush said. “If you miss preseason, you can virtually miss the whole year because you're playing catch-up all the time. It's very, very important that players get that work in.”
That feeling of “catch-up” was clearly felt by Liverpool forward Alexander Isak last season; he missed all of preseason amidst a transfer standoff with Newcastle United, meaning his move to Anfield was not completed until shortly before deadline day. As a result, he missed preseason entirely and endured a season riddled with inconsistency and fitness issues; after the World Cup with Sweden, he will finally get a chance to have a full preseason with Liverpool and is one of several big stars hoping to impress Iraola.
“We all want to see the top players out there, and I'm sure we will see them, but we don't know yet,” Rush said. “A lot depends on how far countries go in the World Cup. That means there will be opportunities for younger players, and they'll be looking to make a name for themselves in America.”
World Cup in America
Firstly, though, there is a World Cup happening on U.S. soil. Rush never played in one, as his Wales side were in the midst of a 64-year drought that finally came to an end in 2022. However, they one against failed to reach this edition, falling to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UEFA playoffs.
Bosnia was the last European team to qualify, and the accomplishment comes as a result of the tournament’s major expansion to 48 teams. The previous World Cup in the U.S. – which Rush and Wales came very close to qualifying for – had only 24 teams.
“Wales would probably have qualified three times when I was playing if the tournament had been this size,” Rush said. “That's why I like the expansion. It gives smaller countries an opportunity to experience the biggest tournament in football.”
In addition to Bosnia, qualifiers like Austria, Haiti, Congo, and Norway are all returning to the tournament after decades-long absences. First-time qualifiers like Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cabo Verde also have the opportunity to take part for the first time ever, bringing a new flair to the nearly century-old tradition.
The 1994 World Cup in the U.S. established soccer as a central sport in North America, bringing it to a new, broader American audience. Fans and organizers hope the size and scale of this year’s edition will take it to another level.
“I think 1994 was when Americans really started taking soccer seriously,” Rush said. “Now you're hosting another World Cup, but the game is already established there. That's what's happening in the United States at the moment with football – it's continuing to grow.”
