LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 07: Jude Bellingham and Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund argue with referee Danny Makkelie alongside Reece James and Joao Felix of Chelsea in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg two match between Chelsea FC and Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on March 7, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Two of Europe's biggest soccer clubs are set to face off in Chicago this summer, with England's Chelsea FC and Germany's Borussia Dortmund both playing at Soldier Field, and fans will have their first chance at tickets this week.
The match between the two teams is set to take place at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, bringing notable players like N’golo Kanté, Kai Havertz, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt to the stadium, according to a release.
Tickets for the event are set to go on sale to the general public at 9 a.m. Tuesday, but presale opened at 9 a.m. Monday. Details can be found here.
It will mark the first match up against a team outside of the United Kingdom for Chelsea, one of England's most successful clubs, during its USA summer tour.
It will also be a special occasion for young Chelsea goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, who grew up in the Chicago area and made his professional debut with Major League Soccer at Chicago Fire.
“We are delighted to visit Chicago as part of our U.S. tour in July and play in an iconic venue at Soldier Field. We are proud of our strong fanbase in the U.S. and we look forward to meeting our fans in Chicago this summer,” said Tom Glick, president of business at Chelsea FC, said in a statement.
Chelsea has struggled this season, currently sitting 12th in the Premier League, but they do have some bragging rights coming into this game, having defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the round-of-16 in UEFA Champions League competition.
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Meanwhile, Dortmund is fighting for their first domestic league title since 2012. They currently sit in the top spot in the German Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich just two points behind their bitter rivals.
“After playing against Manchester United in Las Vegas a couple of days earlier it‘s a privilege for us to then clash with Chelsea FC, another Premier League heavyweight. Having met just recently in the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League, there‘s still a score to settle against them. Also, returning to Chicago and Soldier Field is special to us, almost like a home away from home as we‘re going to play here for the third time already over the decades,“ BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer said in a statement.
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It won't be the first time Dortmund has played in Chicago, having first competed at Soldier Field in 1954.
“Chicago is one of the great sporting cities. We are very excited to bring these two world class teams to Chicago to play each other this summer,” added Geoff Jones, CEO of TEG Sport. “With Borussia Dortmund in great form, Chelsea’s strong following in the USA, and this being the only English Premier League team visiting the region this summer, we are expecting demand to be strong. These teams last played each other in the knockout stages in Europe this year and we are looking forward to seeing fans from Germany, the UK and across the USA come to Chicago for a fantastic football experience and to witness the next chapter in these two teams' rivalry.”
