English Premier giants Arsenal and Liverpool face off at Lincoln Financial Field Tuesday night, in a sellout game for what will soon be a stage for soccer’s biggest show, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The match is part of the Rivals in Red USA 2024 Tour, featuring games between the two clubs and a third red rival, Manchester United, at stadiums around the U.S.
While it’s so closely tied to its resident NFL squad that the water runs midnight green, the Linc’s first-ever event was actually a soccer game between Man United and Barcelona on August, 3, 2003, over a month before the Birds stepped out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Since the World Cup announcement, the Linc has hosted a weekend of Premier League exhibition games, and international friendlies between Mexico and Germany, then Argentina against El Salvador.
The Linc will host six of the 104 World Cup matches as one of the 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Philly’s five group stage games will be on June 14, 19, 22, 25 and 27. Then there will be a round-of-16 match on July 4, coinciding with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations. Liverpool used the Linc as a training ground on Sunday, while Arsenal practiced at Subaru Park in Chester. The Philadelphia Union’s stadium has been touted as a potential home base for Word Cup teams.
The fan group local chapters of both Arsenal and Liverpool offered a slate of events to provide local and traveling fans access to current and past players and celebrities. It also helped them show their own Philly spin to soccer fandom.
“I think in Philly, you can tell it’s a sports city and people love their sports and see it as a way to show their civic pride,” John Gibbons of Liverpool podcast and media collective “The Anfield Wrap,” said after a Liverpool fan event at the Fillmore on Tuesday. “They want to be an active part of the experience, they’re not just going to sit there and absorb it, sit there and watch. They want to be an active participant in the sporting event. We’re the same in Liverpool.”
Both teams are coming off wins in their respective preseasons. Liverpool defeated Real Betis, 1-0, in Pittsburgh on Friday, with a goal from Dominik Szoboszlai — Union midfielder Dániel Gazdag’s captain on the Hungarian national team.
Arsenal defeated the third rival in red, Manchester United, 2-1, at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, thanks to goals from Brazilian pair Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
Liverpool and Man United face off to finish out the tour on Aug. 3 in Columbia, S.C.
The squads are relatively depleted for this summer tour, with many key players getting some rest after competing for their national teams in the UEFA European Championship and The CONMEBOL Copa América. That’s not to say there won’t be stars on the field. The likes of Szoboszlai and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah are available for Liverpool, while Arsenal could field Norway’s Martin Ødegaard, Italy’s Joringho, and aforementioned Brazilians Jesus and Martinelli.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that the club’s latest big-name signing, Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, could also make his club debut. The 22-year-old joined the team on Monday from Italian side Bologna for $53.9 million.
After a public training session at the Linc on Sunday, some Liverpool players had a chance to soak in some Philly culture with the Phillies game against the Yankees on Monday.
Even Liverpool’s mascot Mighty Red, a giant, mythical liver bird, took time to meet a few of his Philly counterparts.
When asked what he would like to do or see when he’s here, Calafiori mentioned the Rocky Statue, so hopefully that’s part of Arsenal’s sightseeing.
The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m., and can also be watched on ESPN. ESPN+ and Fubo.
