Chelsea to play Wrexham in 2023 summer friendly

Chelsea has officially announced a summer friendly against Welsh side Wrexham, and tickets are now available. The matchup is on Wednesday, July 19, just before Chelsea plays in a trio of friendlies against fellow Premier League teams. Kenan Stadium, the home of the University of North Carolina football team, is hosting the soccer game.

Musings over a Chelsea game against Wrexham have been in the works for some time. In fact, even the date was of note for months. July 19 is the same date Arsenal is playing its summer friendly against the MLS All-Star team. Therefore, the two high-profile games go head-to-head in terms of timing and viewership.

Both clubs feature heavily on the list of summer friendlies in the United States. Six days after this contest, Wrexham travels west to San Diego for a friendly against Manchester United. Then, for Chelsea, it has friendlies against Brighton, Aston Villa and Fulham in the United States. Joining these UK-based clubs, there are rumblings over Barcelona and Real Madrid also scheduling another Clásico in the United States.

Additionally, Wrexham revealed intentions for two more friendlies, one on the east coast and one on the west coast, as part of its summer tour in the United States. More details on opponents and venues come at a later date.

Wrexham and Chelsea play in summer friendly after decades apart

Wrexham and Chelsea are familiar foes. Granted, some of the Premier League teams would be more familiar to the Stamford Bridge side. However, the two clubs have played each other 10 times in all competitions. The last time they played, though, was a friendly at the Racecourse Ground in 1984. Chelsea won, 1-0, but this is the first meeting at a neutral site. General tickets go on sale on April 27.

Part of the intrigue for this game, other than large followings in the United States, is the American ownership of both clubs. North American owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have revolutionized Wrexham. It now borders on promotion to League Two for the first time in over a decade. Despite playing in the fifth tier, the club pulls in massive audiences for both game viewership and social media.

Things have not been as popular at Chelsea. Despite spending millions on player transfers, Todd Boehly’s Blues are in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Now out of the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, it is time for some rebuilding at the club.

That could start with this friendly against Wrexham at Chapel Hill in mid-July. Tickets go on pre-sale on April 25. However, you can purchase Chelsea-Wrexham tickets now instead of waiting.