Real Madrid travel to the United States in July for their pre-season tour as Zinedine Zidane looks to apply finishing touches to the star-studded Real Madrid side before the new season gets underway when Real face Sevilla in the European Super Cup tie on 9 August. They will head out to Montreal in Canada for a training camp from 17-26 July before they play their first match in the International Champions Cup in the States on 28 July against French champions Paris Saint-Germain in Columbus, Ohio.
Real Madrid have had a season to remember. After the sacking of Rafa Benitez, just seven months after he took charge, football legend, and long-time Real Madrid faithful Zinedine Zidane was appointed at the helm of the club who guided them to La Undecima, their eleventh Champions League crown. Though they could not chase down Barcelona for the La Liga title, they got pretty close to snatching it from the Catalan club and will be hoping they can finally lay their hands on the trophy in the upcoming season.
Montreal has been chosen as Real’s summer base in Canada where they will train at Montreal Impact’s training complex which features four newly built practice pitches. After their camp in Montreal where they are likely to play a friendly (which is yet to be finalised), they’ll fly to the USA for the International Champions Cup.
The International Champions Cup has been a popular tournament in pre-season in recent times and a medium for increasing the fan base of top European Clubs. This year’s International Champions Cup will see European giants like AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona competing against each other.
After their first match against PSG on 28 July in Ohio, they travel to Ann Arbor in Michigan for their second ICC tie on 30 July where they face Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in the largest stadium in the States, the Michigan Stadium. The stadium boasts a seating capacity of 107,601 and is nicknamed ‘The Big House’
Their final game in the International Champions Cup will be against German giants Bayern Munich in New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium on 4 August. Bayern have appointed former Real coach Carlo Ancelotti for their services after the departure of Pep Guardiola and are genuine Champions League contenders alongside Real. Ancelotti had left real Madrid at the end of 2014-15 season after guiding them to their much awaited La Decima the season before.
Zinedine Zidane is not expected to take any of the players who were involved in both the Copa America Centenario and the European Championships. Players who spent last year on loan at other clubs and youngsters from the Real academy are set to feature heavily in the pre-season fixtures whose futures are likely to be decided on the basis of the tour. Zidane will be hoping to get his combination perfect in the competition in the United States before their European Super Cup tie against Europa League champions Sevilla on 9 August in Trondheim, Norway.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kick-off (IST) |
| 28 July | Paris Saint-Germain | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio | 05:00 am |
| 30 July | Chelsea | Michigan Stadium, Michigan | 12:30 am |
| 4 August | Bayern Munich | Metlife Stadium, New Jersey | 05:00 am |
