US soccer fans may be in for an unprecedented treat. According to reports in the Daily Mail newspaper tonight, Premier League matches and pre-season UEFA competitions could soon be headed to the United States as officials look to expand the sport globally and increase revenues.

The Premier League is contemplating the feasibility of playing league games in the United States based on the recent successes of the NFL games in London. The number of NFL games being played in England has increased over the years ever since the NFL began playing games at Wembley in 2007. Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore raised the possibility of playing a “39th game” overseas several years ago, which was quickly knocked down, but the financial allure of selling out huge venues cannot be ignored especially given the record attendances that the Guinness International Champions Cup has set.

For the past two years, many of the world’s best teams from Europe have traveled to the United States to compete in the preseason tournament. August’s marquee match between Real Madrid and Manchester United at “The Big House,” Michigan University’s fabled football stadium, was a fantastic illustration of the dedicated American supporters of those two clubs where a crowd of 109,318 set a record for the most-attended soccer game in US history. Likewise, Liverpool against Manchester City at Yankee Stadium was one of the highlights of the tournament. The final, which featured Manchester United vs Liverpool in Miami, was also a huge success with more than 50,000 people in attendance.

With the support of the Premier League clubs, Scudamore seems to believe that the decision to play games overseas is inevitable. According to the article in the Daily Mail, Scudamore reasserted his desire to make matches played on foreign soil a reality: “The clubs wanted it then [in 2008] and they would all probably want it now. It will happen at some point. Whether it’s on my watch, who knows?” He would be correct in assuming most clubs would want this sort of exposure, especially now that the game has attained such international appeal and the financial benefits are an undeniable incentive. There is talk of rescheduling November and December Premier League matches, so that they could be staged in the United States which would essentially require a revamping of the league schedule and possibly even the restructure of the FA or League Cups, eliminating replays to free up time in the calendar.

In a similar move to increase global exposure, the Daily Mail reports that UEFA is considering organizing high-profile friendlies, UEFA Champions League and/or Europa League qualifying matches in venues outside of Europe. As with the Premier League, one of the key markets would be the United States. However, Asian and Middle Eastern venues are also likely to be considered considering the appeal of Europe’s most celebrated clubs. In a plan which was first discussed two years ago, UEFA officials began speculating about the viability of playing Champions League and Europa League qualifiers in a knock-out style tournament. Increasing global revenue is clearly the goal of such a venture, which would likely require a rescheduling of UEFA fixtures throughout the summer pre-season in order to be sure they wouldn’t coincide with league and international fixtures.

As of now, nothing has been finalized, but the fact that such ventures are being discussed by both UEFA and Premier League officials suggests that it could soon become a reality. For fans of the beautiful game in the United States, this would surely be a welcome addition.