The craziest pre-season friendlies of Summer 2026 There's no really time to relax

European tours by South African clubs, fixtures that feel like historical reenactments, Angolan teams you never even knew existed suddenly taking on one of Spain's footballing giants. Welcome to the magical world of pre-season friendlies, where the wildest football fantasies come to life through matches between teams that could only ever share the same pitch during this brief window of the year. From early July until mid-August, as the official season approaches, clubs prepare in very different ways, ranging from traditional mountain training camps to commercial tours across Southeast Asia. Whatever the format, every club schedules friendly matches—some more glamorous than others—for both technical purposes and as showcases to strengthen the club's positioning, now that football teams have effectively become global brands.

The perfect holiday for football fans

After falling short of promotion to the Premier League through the ruthless Championship playoffs, Millwall kicked off the first part of their pre-season in Alicante. The choice of destination is anything but random—in fact, it might even be strategic. Like many seaside resorts across the Iberian Peninsula, the Costa Blanca city is flooded with British tourists every summer. What better excuse, then, for Millwall supporters to plan a holiday in Spain while catching a couple of their team's friendlies? On July 14, in nearby Murcia, the Lions faced Gerard Piqué's FC Andorra, who came away with a 2-1 victory. Millwall's second fixture will be against Eldense, where the club's iconic chant "No one likes us, we don't care" is sure to echo around the stadium.

Karlsruhe vs Inter: reconnecting with your roots

Reconnecting with your roots is always something that strikes a deeply emotional chord, a reunion filled with nostalgia and a sense of belonging. That's exactly how you could describe the friendly between Karlsruhe and Inter, scheduled to take place at the German club's home ground on Sunday, July 26. Around 650,000 Italians currently live in Germany, a figure that rises to roughly 850,000 when second- and third-generation descendants are included. Today they represent the country's second-largest foreign community after the Turkish population, and around 250,000 Italians live in Baden-Württemberg alone, the region where Karlsruhe is located. Among them, many have undoubtedly packed their football allegiance in their suitcase—figuratively speaking—with plenty of Nerazzurri supporters included. Suddenly, what looks like an ordinary pre-season test becomes a meaningful occasion for Inter's large Italian community in Germany.

African clubs head to Europe

Among the intercontinental fixtures, it's always refreshing to see South African clubs take on European opposition during the summer—matches that would otherwise only exist in late-night PlayStation sessions with friends. This year, the tradition continues with Orlando Pirates training in Andalusia. They drew 1-1 with Córdoba in Marbella, before facing Cádiz behind closed doors at the Spanish club's training ground over the weekend. Austria, meanwhile, will host Red Bull Salzburg against the Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning CAF Champions League winners. Valencia, meanwhile, has delivered one of the summer's most random—and memorable—friendlies, taking on Angolan champions Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, who will be welcomed to the Royalverd Training Center in the province of Girona.

Conquering the Asian market

If we shift our focus to the Asia-Europe axis, the menu becomes even richer. Asian tours have now become a staple for Europe's biggest clubs, eager to strengthen their presence in high-potential markets such as Japan, South Korea and Indonesia. Borussia Dortmund, for instance, will face Cerezo Osaka and FC Tokyo during the BVB Evonik Japan Tour, returning to a country where the club built a loyal following during Shinji Kagawa's days in black and yellow. Their greatest domestic rivals, Bayern Munich, will instead travel to South Korea to play SK Jeju in the city of Jeju as part of the Bavarians' Audi Summer Tour. Fresh off their Europa League triumph, Aston Villa are going all in with a tour that will take them through Jakarta, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

In Indonesia, Villa will face an All-Star national selection at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium before travelling to Pathum to take on the local club. Xabi Alonso's Chelsea will head to Malaysia to play Johor Darul Ta'zim on August 9, bringing their pre-season schedule to a close. Finally, there is Utrecht who, instead of flying to Asia, have brought Japan's V-Varen Nagasaki to the Netherlands in a fixture every bit as unconventional as the choice of opponent itself. The match will be played in a 5,000-seat stadium surrounded by nature, with three 45-minute periods. Absolutely unmissable.

The most fascinating friendlies involving Italian clubs

When it comes to the most intriguing pre-season trips involving Serie A clubs, a few fixtures immediately stand out. Ruben Amorim's AC Milan will take centre stage at Celtic Park against the Bhoys on July 25, six years after the last meeting between two of European football's historic clubs at the iconic venue. Torino, still waiting to experience European away days during the regular season once again, will have to settle for a prestigious summer trip instead, travelling to one of Britain's most historic grounds: Burnley's Turf Moor, where they will play on August 2 at the stadium that has stood since 1883. It's hardly the easiest destination for Granata supporters, but it will be interesting to see how many make the journey. Expectations are positive, considering that more than 500 fans travelled to Anfield for Torino's last pre-season trip to England, enjoying a memorable friendly against Liverpool. It is at that very same stadium that Cesc Fàbregas' Como will play, giving the club a first taste of the atmosphere surrounding European football's greatest prize. Roma, meanwhile, will move from one of the world's most glamorous destinations to the industrial heart of the Ruhr. On July 26, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, the Giallorossi will face fellow Friedkin-owned club AS Cannes, newly promoted back into French professional football. Then, on Ferragosto, Roma will take on Borussia Dortmund at Stadion Rote Erde, the historic home of the German club located right next to the imposing Westfalenstadion.

Another dose of Great Britain

Back across the Channel, Wrexham AFC—the club owned by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds—have put together an exceptionally glamorous pre-season schedule. On July 18 they defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the cool temperatures of Helsinki, Finland, before taking on Andoni Iraola's newly revamped Liverpool at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 29. Perhaps it's their way of getting a taste of blockbuster fixtures before making a genuine push for the Premier League. On July 31, Birmingham City will also get to experience a little of that European glamour, hosting Barcelona for a gala night at St Andrew's. Two more clubs will be heading to Edinburgh: Rayo Vallecano, who travel to Tynecastle Park to face Heart of Midlothian after the Scottish side narrowly missed out on a memorable domestic campaign, and Denmark's Brøndby, who will visit Hibernian at the iconic Easter Road. At Ibrox, meanwhile, one of the most proudly British fixtures of the summer will take place on July 26: Rangers vs West Ham.

The extra friendlies you shouldn't overlook

The clash between Galatasaray and Venezia, meanwhile, feels like a match steeped in the history of civilisation itself. A footballing continuation of the centuries-old rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, between sultans and doges. The game will be played on neutral ground in Linz on July 27—a fitting location considering the Austrian city was once part of the Habsburg Empire, adding yet another historical layer to the occasion. We close this exotic roundup with two seemingly low-profile fixtures that say a great deal about the ever-expanding world of pre-season football. Folgore Caratese, owned by Michele Criscitiello and fresh from an extraordinary promotion to Serie C, will face Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, the Neroverdi's historic home. In France, newly promoted Ligue 1 side Le Mans will take on the UNFP selection, the team organised by France's National Union of Professional Footballers, the country's sole players' union. It is worth remembering that UNFP FC operates its own training centre for unemployed professional footballers, allowing free agents to stay in peak physical condition while waiting for their next opportunity.