Every summer, soccer fans in the United States pay steep prices to see the world’s best teams compete in preseason exhibitions against other top clubs as well as squads from Major League Soccer. It is more a taste of world soccer than a feast; some stars are allowed to skip the tours, and those who do arrive are routinely pulled by managers wary of injuries.
While the games are little more than tuneups for elite teams like Barcelona and Chelsea, which come to America to get in shape and to promote their brands before their seasons, fans continue to pack stadiums for their exhibitions.