National League leaders Wrexham confirm a summer friendly against Premier League side Chelsea as part of a US tour later this summer.
There will be two further Wrexham AFC games on July 22 on the West Coast and 28th on the East Coast, bound to get fans excited.
The club saw full details will be announced as soon as the agreements are finalised, but with the club on course for promotion, a summer of spending and friendlies against the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea in mind, it’s a good time to be a Wrexham supporter (if you are one).
There will be two further Wrexham AFC games on July 22 on the West Coast and 28th on the East Coast. Full details will be announced as soon as the agreements are finalised.
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) April 20, 2023
London calling! 🔵
Chelsea will take on @Wrexham_AFC in North Carolina on our USA tour this summer! 🇺🇸
#BluesInTheUSA— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 20, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
Wrexham AFC will meet Chelsea in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on the evening of Wednesday July 19 as part of the 2023 FC Series. The stateside match will see the two historic clubs meet on neutral soil for the first time.
The match also marks the first international football competition to be held at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium.
Group and single-match presale information is available at FCSeries.com. Public tickets go on sale Thursday, April 27. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Clinic at UNC Children’s Hospital.
Broadcast information and the official match start time will be announced later this year.
There will be two further Wrexham AFC games on July 22 on the West Coast and 28th on the East Coast. Full details will be announced as soon as the agreements are finalised.
Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson said: “Our tour of the United States will be an exciting part of the summer’s build-up to the new season and something we will all be looking forward to in July.
“To have the opportunity to play a team of Chelsea’s calibre at the Kenan Stadium, North Carolina, will be a terrific test for our players and form an important part of our preparations for the 2023/24 season.
“We’re looking forward to meeting some of the fans who have supported us so passionately from afar this season at a renowned athletics stadium.”
Set among the majestic Carolina pines, Kenan Stadium has been home to the Tar Heels football program since 1927. Though primarily an American football venue, the stadium also hosted Carolina’s first national championship in women’s sports when the 1981 UNC women’s soccer team won 1-0 over the University of Central Florida.
Unified Events will host the event in partnership with Orlando, Florida-based Florida Citrus Sports. The Chapel Hill match is the first of the 2023 FC Series, an international soccer exhibition that grew from Florida Citrus Sports’ Florida Cup event.
Since 2015, the Florida Cup & FC Series has featured clubs from all over the world. Last year, Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the headline match in Orlando. This summer’s FC Series schedule also includes the Orlando stop of the Premier League Summer Series when Fulham and Aston Villa meet on July 26. Additional FC Series and Florida Cup events will be announced later this year.
Longtime FC Series supporter Universal Orlando Resort will support the event in Chapel Hill as part of its partnership across all series matches.
Chelsea FC President of Business Tom Glick added: “We are delighted to return to North Carolina as part of our US tour this summer, and play in what I’m sure will be a fantastic atmosphere at Kenan Stadium.
“Our strong US fanbase support us incredibly all year round and we are looking forward to meeting them in Chapel Hill.”
University of North Carolina Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham said: “We are excited to bring Chelsea and Wrexham to Chapel Hill for this fun and historic event.
“We look forward to welcoming fans from all over the world, filling Kenan Stadium and creating a fantastic atmosphere for international competition.”
Unified Events Head of Touring Business and Operations Molly Pendleton said: “We are excited to bring this historic match to Kenan Stadium and the University of North Carolina. We can’t wait to bring fans to Chapel Hill to see Chelsea and Wrexham’s first date on U.S. soil in 2023.”
Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan added: “Our team is excited to work with Chelsea againfollowing last summer’s successful tour.
Matching them with the incredible underdog story of Wrexham will make this a must-see match on the summer soccer calendar.
“Together with Unified Events, we look forward to bringing ‘the beautiful game’ to the picturesque backdrop of UNC’s campus.”
FC Series CEO Ricardo Villar said: “This match is a thrilling addition to the history of the FC Series.
“The pairing of Chelsea’s legacy and pedigree with the resurgence of Wrexham will be an incredible experience for international football fans in the United States this summer.”
Tom Glick, Chelsea FC president of business, said: ‘We are delighted to return to North Carolina as part of our US tour this summer, and play in what I’m sure will be a fantastic atmosphere at Kenan Stadium.
‘Our strong US fanbase support us incredibly all year round and we are looking forward to meeting them in Chapel Hill.’
This is what fans are saying as Wrexham confirm a friendly against Chelsea as part of their US tour this summer…
@Luke11Cox: Get Wrexham’s confidence up before the season
@sam__wxm: What an opportunity not just for the players to play two big clubs but for the fans too nice holiday in America & chance to see ryan & rob in their home land
@TTVTHETESCOLAD: Easy win for the reds
@DamoVGC: Chelsea even losing in friendlies – the saga continues
@AshOafc: Oh what money does 😂
@gibbinsa: Surely a potential conflict of interest, we could be playing them a couple of weeks later in the league cup 2nd round
@mitchdavies1996: Easy w for Wrexham
@916connor_: what the actual fuck is happening at wrexham football club.
@HyanRaines: If we lose to Wrexham, can they take our spot in the Prem and we’ll just swap places?
@PageDcfc: Chelsea may have found their level
@SportWatcherPRO: All these fancy new MLS stadiums and they play a friendly at a century-old college football stadium. Lol
@sirHongiz: That’ll too easy for Super Paul Mullin. Aren’t there any other better teams?
@tremcol48: You’re fucking kidding me…im sure this Boehly cunt is doing this for a laugh now…
Me seeing the fixture vs me seeing the ticket prices pic.twitter.com/KeRWkVPDJk
— Josh Jones (@WelshLad247) April 20, 2023
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