When will Real Madrid play Barcelona in El Clásico in the US? Date and kick-off time confirmed

A whole host of leading European clubs will be spending at least part of their preseason in the United States, with the stateside El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona set to be one of the highlights of the summer.

The LaLiga giants will face off for the fourth time in the US at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 3 August, with the kickoff time confirmed as 7:00 p.m. ET.

Madrid will be looking to record their first ever win in such a meeting, with Barça having previously come out on top in Miami (3-2 in 2017), Las Vegas (1-0 in 2022), and Dallas (3-0 in 2023).

Real Madrid’s 2024 preseason US tour schedule

Carlo Ancelotti’s side have played four matches in the United States on previous preseason visits, but have only three games scheduled this year, mainly because of the European Championship, Copa América and Olympic Games being played across the summer.

El Clásico will be sandwiched between friendlies against AC Milan at Solider Field in Chicago on 31 July (kickoff at 9:30 p.m. ET) and versus Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on 6 August (7:00 p.m. ET).

How do I buy tickets for Real Madrid against Barcelona at MetLife Stadium?

Tickets for the latest stateside Clásico went on sale Wednesday 27 March, with most already long gone. However, you can still try your luck by heading over to the official Soccer Champions Tour website. Of course, seats are also available on a number of unofficial resale platforms, but are more expensive.

MetLife Stadium to host “outdoor” Clásico

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will not only host the fourth US Clásico but has also been picked as the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The home of NFL teams the New York Giants and New York Jets has a capacity of 82,500, making it the 18th biggest stadium in the country.

Unlike previous Clásicos in the US, Madrid and Barça will face off in an “outdoor” game, with MetLife Stadium not having a roof. That means players and fans alike will have to put up with expected high temperatures at the beginning of August.

In 2014, the venue became the first open-air stadium in a cold-weather city to host an “outdoor” Super Bowl. The final of the 2016 Copa América Centenario was played at MetLife Stadium, which welcomed Real Madrid for the first time for a 2-1 friendly win against Roma. On Tuesday, Lionel Messi captained Argentina to victory against Chile in New Jersey in the group stage of the 2024 Copa América.

Will Kylian Mbappé play for Real Madrid against Barcelona in New Jersey?

Real Madrid will be bidding to defeat their bitter rivals in the US for the first time, but which of their players will make the trip? At present, the club are planning to have all first-team squad members available, apart from those who get as far as the semifinals of Euro 2024 or the Copa América. Luka Modric and Andriy Lunin are already confirmed, with more players likely to follow in the next week or two.

For Los Blancos, the preseason tour of the States will be followed by the European Super Cup, which they will compete for against European League winners Atalanta in Warsaw on 14 August. Kylian Mbappé could make his debut for the club in Poland, unless France suffer an earlier-than-expected exit from Euro 2024, in which case he will travel across the pond. The same goes for Endrick, currently with Brazil at the Copa América.

The attacking duo are Madrid’s only summer signings so far, and few more are expected. Teenage defender Leny Yoro, billed the new Raphaël Varane, looks likely to arrive from French club Lille, while a move for Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies is being considered.