Soccer Champions Tour
Real Madrid vs Manchester United
NRG Stadium - Houston, Texas
July 26, 2023


It was another scorching summer day in the City of Houston, and the hottest ticket in town on Wednesday evening was Real Madrid versus Manchester United at NRG Stadium. This match is one of eight on the Soccer Champions Tour, which will see six elite European clubs matched up against each other in pre-season matches across the United States.

Although there were plenty of red and yellow jerseys in the stands, the arena was heavy in Real Madrid's favor, cheering on superstars such as Vini Jr., Luka Modrić, and Jude Bellingham, who scored in the sixth minute. The Manchester United squad was also stacked with brilliant play from Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, and Bruno Fernandes.

Although this game was technically considered a "friendly", both teams played with plenty of energy and emotion. Three players received yellow cards during the game, with each team playing hard for their respective clubs, managers and fans.

International fútbol (aka soccer) has steadily risen in popularity here in the United States over the last three decades, which is the last time the World Cup was hosted here. Although homegrown Major League Soccer is extremely popular, with 29 teams across the U.S. and Canada, the club teams from Europe continue to set the standard in both players and team loyalty. Exhibition games showcasing teams from the Premier League (England) and La Liga (Spain) are always well attended and often sold-out.
The attendance at NRG Stadium for last night's match was a respectable 67,801. The crowd roared early when Madrid scored with in the first few minutes, and continued that energy throughout the match. The arena erupted again in the 89th minute when Joselu scored a on a brilliant bicycle kick to seal the fate of the game in the Spanish team's favor.

Real Madrid will play a clásico this Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington against their rival club FC Barcelona. The Houston stop was the sole game for Manchester United on this tour.


Check out more photos in the slideshow by HoustonPress photographer Jack Gorman.