One of the organisers of the 2026 World Cup has renewed its call for America to host Premier League and Champions League matches. Does this idea make sense and is it feasible? One thing is certain - there are plenty of stadiums willing to host such matches in the United States.

Pre-season matches of Premier League clubs in the US succeeded

82,262 fans were present at MetLife Stadium for the friendly match between Manchester United and Arsenal. There is a growing appetite for the country to host a Premier League match. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey governor who is trying to convince FIFA to host the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, where Manchester United beat Arsenal 2-0 on Saturday, is also thinking about the English league.

Murphy was asked about the prospect of playing Premier League matches in the United States: I would very much like to consider it. I know clubs in Europe wouldn't be thrilled about it. The man who brought English football here, Charlie Stillitano, a good friend, has tried to do that over the years. It's more about what clubs from Europe want. I assume Manchester United and Arsenal would see it as a good investment, putting their best players out there where there are 82,000 fans in the stands, as there are in New Jersey. I'd like to think that would happen. Barcelona could play against Real Madrid in New Jersey at some point during the regular season or in a Champions League match. I would love that.

© Anthony Quintano (CC BY 2.0)

Premier League like the NFL?

The most popular American football league in the world appears in Europe on a regular basis and has done so for many years. The first time it happened was during the International Series on October 28, 2007, when the New York Giants faced the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium. Also this year, several NFL teams will be coming to Europe in October and November. The 2023 International Games will again be seen at Wembley and at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Two games will also take place at Deutsche Bank Park.

Would Premier League games in the US achieve similar success to NFL games in Europe? The aforementioned Phil Murphy goes on to say: I will say what is a good model - the NFL. As you know, they play matches in Europe with great success. I'm a fan of the New England Patriots, who play against the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt in November. The stadium is not big, with only 55,000 seats, and there are as many as 700,000 fans willing to watch the game live.

As the Americans are well aware, although Premier League matches in the USA would be a business bull's-eye, coaches and players would be opposed to the idea. The major English clubs, who would be welcome in the United States, compete practically every three days, and different time zones as well as climatic conditions would also be important factors. For the moment, fans in major American metropolitan areas have to be content with pre-season matches, and they will probably wait a few more years for European teams to meet there during the season. It is safe to assume that most fans around the world would prefer to watch a Champions League final played in North America rather than, let’s say, Saudi Arabia.

© joevare