Leeds United is about to log some serious air miles. The club confirmed its six-match preseason schedule this week, and it’s a mix of American showcase games, a Dublin derby, and a couple of tune-ups back at Elland Road.
The real headline here is the U.S. leg. It kicks off Sunday, July 26 against Wrexham at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. That’s a 12:30 a.m. BST start, which means Friday night in Florida for anyone watching from the UK. The hype around Wrexham is still real, and putting them against a Championship side in an NFL stadium is going to draw a crowd.
From there, Leeds heads to New Jersey. They face Sunderland on Friday, July 31 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, again with a 12:30 a.m. BST kickoff. Then the U.S. tour wraps up Sunday, August 2 against Liverpool at Soldier Field in Chicago. That one kicks off at 9 p.m. BST, so it’s an afternoon game in the States. Liverpool is obviously a step up in competition, and it’ll be a good test for where Daniel Farke’s squad is at.
After the American swing, Leeds comes back across the Atlantic. They host RB Leipzig at Elland Road on Saturday, August 8 at 2 p.m. Then it’s over to Dublin for a Wednesday night match against Manchester United at Croke Park on August 12, 7:30 p.m. kickoff. That’s the kind of fixture that sells out fast. The preseason finale is Saturday, August 15 against FC Augsburg at Elland Road, 3 p.m.
Why the U.S. Trip Matters
Leeds isn’t the only Championship team doing this. But the choice of opponents is interesting. Wrexham gets the needle-moving treatment because of the documentary effect. Sunderland is a solid draw. Liverpool is the kind of friendly that actually means something for match fitness and morale.
The travel logistics alone are a grind — Tampa to New Jersey to Chicago in about a week. Then back to England, then to Ireland, then home. It’s a lot. But Farke has a squad that needs minutes together, and these games give him a chance to rotate heavily.
Players reported back for testing on Monday, so the fitness work is underway. No official word on who’s traveling or if any key names will be rested for the U.S. games, but expect a mix of first-team regulars and younger guys getting run.
The club hasn’t announced broadcast details yet for the U.S. matches, but given the opponents involved, it’s likely some of these will stream live. Leeds fans on both sides of the Atlantic will be watching closely. This is a team looking to push for promotion, and how they handle this preseason — especially the travel and the quality of opponents — could set the tone for the season.
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