How Man City conquered America: Ted Lasso, WWE and countless trophies make Pep Guardiola & Co. the American fans’ favorite Premier League team

Manchester City are back in the United States and are set to receive their biggest reception yet, playing in front of a potential crowd of 257,000 fans across the four games that make up their pre-season tour. They kick off their trip against Celtic at the Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill on July 23, before taking on AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 27.

This is followed by a thrilling match against Guardiola’s boyhood club Barcelona at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, while City close the tour in style with a clash against Chelsea at the 100,000-capacity Ohio Stadium.

City have much to celebrate as they return to the United States. They’ll be proud to have won their fourth straight Premier League title, and they can also boast the fact that they’re the most popular team in the country based on a number of metrics. They were the most-watched Premier League club in the US across all competitions in the 2022-23 season, according to sports data company Nielsen, as well as the most recognised Premier League brand and most-loved club, according to YouGov.

In March, City also made history on American television when their match against Arsenal was watched by a record 2.6 million people, the highest ever audience for a Premier League match in the country.