By: Katelyn Wei

Philadelphia’s streets were filled with blue-clad individuals on July 22. There was no 76ers blue, though. Blue, as in Chelsea FC blue. As part of the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, the soccer heavyweights from Europe came to town to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.

Nine games in five locations along the US East Coast are part of the Premier League Summer Series. Chelsea FC, the 2021 Champions League champion, and Newcastle United, the 2023 Carabao Cup runner-up, are two of the six participating teams. Cities participating in the inaugural USA Summer Series included New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Orlando.

A fan fest is held prior to each game in the summer series. Numerous activities, including playing in the Nike Skills Arena and spinning a wheel to win a Premier League jersey, can be found at the fan fest. Numerous former and present players can be found mingling with the crowd and signing autographs at the fan event. By showcasing all the exciting things that occur at a game, the Premier League seeks to draw more fans to English soccer.

In recent years, soccer has surpassed sports like hockey, golf, and racing in terms of popularity in the United States. In a survey by The Washington Post, 8% of respondents chose soccer as their preferred sport.

Orders for jerseys are delayed until October as a result of Lionel Messi’s recent move to MLS team Inter Miami. Over 82,000 fans traveled to the Rose Bowl for the LA Galaxy vs. LAFC matchup this year, breaking the MLS’s previous attendance record.

U.S. Soccer is doing everything they can to increase interest in soccer as the 2026 World Cup approaches. The MLS makes significant steps to increase attendance by signing stars like Sergio Busquets and Lorenzo Insigne in addition to one of the best players of all time, Lionel Messi. The Premier League was organizing its Summer Series at the same time to heighten the fervor surrounding soccer in the United States.

Everyone is attempting to board the bus because soccer is a rising sport in the United States, whether it be the Major League Soccer, the USMNT, or foreign soccer clubs on tours in the country. Although we don’t know what will happen next, we do know that American soccer is growing.