Tottenham returning to USA, will play Barcelona in Los Angeles

It sounds like Tottenham Hotspur’s preseason tour to the United States is all but sorted, even if none of it is official. Tottenham Hotspur just confirmed an open secret — they will be returning to the United States for a preseason tour as part of the International Champions Cup in late July.

On Spurs’ website, chairman Daniel Levy expressed his excitement that Tottenham will be returning to USA, which has been fertile ground for Tottenham fandom in the past decade.

“This summer’s tour will be the sixth time in nine years that we have toured the US and we are all excited to be returning again later this year.

“Our following in North America has grown considerably during this time with the number of Official Supporters Clubs alone more than quadrupling.

“We are grateful to have such strong support in the US and we are fully aware of the sacrifices they make to watch us play at any hour of the day. We look forward to showing them our appreciation when we visit this summer.”

This news comes amidst fresh rumors about another Tottenham preseason friendly: according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham will play Barcelona in Los Angeles in mid-July as part of the International Champions Cup.

This follows previous leaked reports that Spurs will play two other games in USA during the month of July: against AC Milan in Minneapolis, and against Dortmund in Pittsburgh. The addition of Los Angeles ensures that Spurs will visit three major (though distinct) regions of the country — the “east” in Pittsburgh, the midwest in Minneapolis, and the west coast in LA.

None of the dates have been finalized apart from the Dortmund match in Pittsburgh, which was reported as July 25. We can probably assume that all of these would take place after the conclusion of the World Cup, but that the traveling Spurs team would likely be without the players that were part of the tournament in Russia. That means that it’s unlikely that American fans will see the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Christian Eriksen, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vergonghen, etc. (unless some of their teams flame out of the World Cup early).

The International Champions Cup will make a full announcement next Tuesday with the full lineup of participating teams and the schedule.

So: Milan in Minneapolis, Dortmund in Pittsburgh, and Barcelona in Los Angeles. Gas up the Winnebago and get ready for a road trip, Spurs fans!