Some of the biggest star names in world soccer are headed Stateside this summer. For the first time in history Wisconsin locals will get the chance to witness the pinnacle of the world game up close and personal.
On July 23 soccer giants Bayern Munich and lottery winners Manchester City will head to Green Bay’s own Lambeau Field in a game which could be reminiscent of a Champions League Final.
Wisconsin to Host Soccer Heavyweights Manchester City and Bayern Munich
🇺🇸 City in the States! 🇺🇸
The second fixture of our 2022/23 pre-season trip will take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Saturday 23 July against Bayern Munich! 🏟
⬇️ DETAILS ⬇️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 2, 2022
Such is the demand the Green Bay Press Gazette has reported 80% of tickets have already been sold for the 81,000 capacity home of the Packers.
It marks just one game in a wider array of summer friendly fixtures happening all over the country, as big name European sides make their first visits to the States since the covid-19 pandemic.
Many Wisconsin residents looking for legal sports betting in connection with the game and other summer fixtures should consult a legal sports betting guide.
Although sports betting is not currently legal in Wisconsin it is a good idea to keep updated. Many states have already passed legislation legalizing sports betting with more projected to follow suit in the coming months.
What to Expect From the Match
But what can fans expect from such a match up? European soccer has been gaining traction in the US alongside its own native MLS in recent years.
A face off between the current champions of two of the world’s most prestigious leagues is a coup for Green Bay’s organizers and for the state itself, owing to the growth of interest in the state.
Bayern Munich are widely considered the Manchester United of German football, with popularity across their home nation and one of world sports most recognizable global sports brands.
Two. More. Weeks. ⌛️#AudiFCBTour pic.twitter.com/DNQw5YeHjF
— 🇺🇸 FC Bayern US 🇨🇦 (@FCBayernUS) July 6, 2022
They currently hold an iron grip on their domestic league having won ten back to back titles and most recently being crowned world champions in 2020.
Manchester City on the other hand are relative newcomers to the higher echelons of world soccer. For example, they have never won a European honor and largely live in the shadow of their more recognizable rivals, Manchester United.
Nevertheless, since their Abu Dhabi-backed takeover they have sought to compete at the very top, winning six English Premier League titles in the last decade.
In comparison they won just two league titles in their entire history before that point.
But it is not just prestige that has fans flocking to buy tickets. Both sides currently play some of the most fast-paced and technically astute soccer on the planet.
Manchester City’s high-profile manager Pep Guardiola has been lauded as one of the geniuses of the modern game. He has crafted City into a lethal and efficient possession based side that can carve opponents like butter.
Contrastingly, Bayern often play a much more aggressively attacking style, with an array of precision players that are the up-and-comers of their generation.
Wisconsin-based fans have waited long enough and rightly have a lot to look forward to this July.