
<p>Britain’s connection to the state of Florida has been long and eventful. Outside of Europe, Florida ranks as the number one tourist destination for Brits. Having been that way for the last 50+ years, it’s no wonder that a lot of British citizens end up moving to the sunshine state after retiring. So much so that many famous retired British footballers now call Florida home.</p>



<p>Many of these famous soccer players have appeared in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/schedule-of-soccer-friendlies-in-us-this-summer/">summer friendlies</a> across the United States where Florida is often a regular stop. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to see plenty of British footballers playing for clubs throughout the state, such as Inter Miami, Tampa Bay Rowdies or Orlando City SC. Many of them eventually decide to live here after retiring from the sport.</p>



<h2>British footballers who now call Florida home</h2>



<p>The hall of fame includes (listed in alphabetical order by first name):</p>



<p>Alan Smith<br>Chris Bart-Williams<br>Danny Thomas<br>David Beckham<br>Derek Smethurst<br>Gary Bailey*<br>George Graham<br>Ian Bishop<br>James Phillips<br>John Robinson<br>Kevin Keelan<br>Mo Johnston<br>Nick Holmes<br>Peter Mellor<br>Peter Ward<br>Phil Neville<br>Ray Hudson<br>Rodney Marsh<br>Seb Hines<br>Stuart Campbell</p>



<p>*South African-born Gary Bailey is so intertwined with Manchester United as a former goalkeeper that it’s hard not to consider him British. Bailey also has two caps for the England national team.</p>



<p>Interestingly, there are many current Premier League footballers (including one of the top managers in the league) who own second homes in Florida. For the sake of privacy, we won’t mention those celebrities in this article.</p>



<p>While not a complete list, if there are any former British stars who aren’t mentioned above that we missed, please share them in the comments section below.</p>



<p><em>Thank you to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/408307412606208" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brits in Florida group</a> on Facebook for their assistance in the research for this article.</em></p>


What do British footballers and Florida have in common? Quite a lot, actually. Here's the list of famous British footballers who live in Fla.

Did you know these 20 British footballers live in Florida? - World Soccer Talk

Did you know these 20 British footballers live in Florida?

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<p>In a span of summer friendlies, <a href="https://vivid-seats.pxf.io/c/330866/952533/12730?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vividseats.com%2Forlando-city-sc-tickets-exploria-stadium-7-20-2022--sports-soccer%2Fproduction%2F3936788" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Orlando City-Arsenal tickets</a> are available for the July 20 in Florida.</p>
<p>This fixture, part of the Florida Cup and the expanded FC Series, provides some life for the usual stretch of friendlies in the United States. Launched in 2015, the Florida Cup features clubs from Europe, South America and North America.</p>
<p>This is not a bracket style format. Rather, the teams involved play a certain number of games based on other commitments. For example, last year, Everton, Pumas and Colombian sides Millonarios and Atletico Nacional played a total of three games. Everton won the Florida Cup with two wins. Reason being, organizers set the opener between Everton and Millonarios as the ‘Championship Game’ before the competition.</p>
<p>This year, it is similar. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/05/07/chelsea-vs-arsenal-tickets/">Arsenal plays Chelsea at Camping World Stadium</a> on July 23 for the 2022 Florida Cup. Still, the opportunity for Orlando City to play Arsenal cannot be passed up.</p>
<h3>Orlando City to play Arsenal on July 20</h3>
<p>This is the first meeting between these two clubs. While it is considered part of a competition, it is a glorified version of a friendly.</p>
<p>Looking back at Everton’s lineup from the Florida Cup in 2021, a <a href="https://www.evertonfc.com/match/65596/millonarios-everton#report">number of notable players</a> started for the Toffees. With no international competitions in the summer due to a wintertime World Cup, this is one of the better opportunities for players to maintain match fitness.</p>
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<h4>Arsenal’s 2022 U.S. Tour:</h4>
<p>See Arsenal’s two games in Orlando</p></td>
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<p>For fans, it is also a rare opportunity to watch a hometown team play one of the more stories sides in Europe. Arsenal has the second-most Premier League title wins of any league in English Premier League history. Orlando City is a relative newcomer to Major League Soccer. Therefore, this game allows some of the Orlando City players to go up against those who might appear at the World Cup or in the Champions League.</p>
<p>Arsenal may put an increased emphasis on the game against Chelsea just a few days later. However, it should be a fun celebration of the sport in the U.S. and Florida.</p>
<p>Here’s the complete list of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/schedule-of-soccer-friendlies-in-us-this-summer/">soccer friendlies in the United States</a> this summer.</p>
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<p><em>Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images</em></p>


Orlando City is set to play Arsenal in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Orlando City-Arsenal tickets are still available.

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Did you know these 20 British footballers live in Florida?

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Orlando City-Arsenal tickets available for July friendly in Florida