Why Aren’t Real Madrid Playing in the United States This Summer?

Real Madrid’s preseason is well underway.

The 15-time European champions took on Ferencváros in Budapest on Saturday, having already faced Alcorcón and Leganés at home this summer, as well as Fiorentina in Austria last weekened.

Following a mini-tour of Central Europe, Los Blancos will return to Spain to take on newly promoted RC Deportivo and then conclude their preparations in Germany against Schalke 04 on Aug. 16, with the La Liga season kicking off a week later.

Preseason is an important element of any club’s schedule, but even more so for Madrid this summer as new manager José Mourinho looks to get the measure of his players ahead of the campaign.

Mourinho, returning to Madrid after 13 years away, will use the tune-up matches to make assessments on his squad and bed in his playing style, as well as for building fitness.

Preseason at big, modern clubs is also seen as a commercial opportunity, with many of Europe’s top clubs using the summer to travel far and wide as part of lucrative overseas tours.

American fans have become accustomed to Real Madrid spending their summers in the United States, with eight of the last ten preseasons prior to 2026 featuring matches in the country as part of a co-ordinated engagement drive in one of soccer’s biggest, emerging markets.

In fact, the only time in recent seasons that Los Blancos have skipped visiting the U.S. has been during the COVID-hit summers of 2020 and 2021.

Last summer, Xabi Alonso’s team competed in the Club World Cup held in the U.S., while in the build-up to the 2024–25 season, Madrid played exhibition matches as part of the Soccer Champions Tour in Chicago, New Jersey and Charlotte.

Why Aren’t Real Madrid Playing in the U.S.?

MetLife Stadium, 2026 World Cup final — Several Madrid stars have already played in the U.S. this summer. | Dan Mullan/Getty Images

This year, then, represents a marked changed.

All five preseason matches take place in Europe with Real Madrid opting against a tour outside of the continent, with the club’s own Valdebebas center operating as the team’s preseason headquarters.

AS reported that the reason to forgo a trip to the United States this year is tied the impact of this summer’s World Cup, with many of Mourinho’s first team having been engaged in the tournament across North America in June and July.

The lack of more demanding preseason travel this summer is designed to give the players a more manageable schedule after their summer exertions, while those who competed at the World Cup have been afforded an extended vacation, with their re-appearance at training staggered depending on how far their national team went in the tournament.

Interestingly, back in 2018—after the last summer World Cup—Real Madrid did still opt to visit the United States, with Julen Lopetegui’s team embarking on a three-game tour of matches in Miami, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.

How to Watch Real Madrid on Preseason

For fans in the United States hoping to watch Real Madrid’s preseason campaign, the best bet is on TV.

Real’s Madrid clash with Ferencvárcos on Saturday, August 8 will be available to view for fans in the U.S. on CBS Sports Network and fuboTV.

Match	Kick Off Time	Channel/Live Stream
vs. Ferencváros	7 p.m CET / 6 a.m PT / 9 a.m ET	CBS Sports Network and fuboTV.
vs. RC Deportivo	9 p.m CET / 8 a.m PT / 11 a.m ET	fuboTV, DAZN USA, FOX Deportes, FOX One
vs. Schalke 04	5 p.m CET / 4 a.m PT / 7 a.m ET	fuboTV, DAZN USA, FOX Deportes, FOX One

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