MLS Teams Gear Up for Summer Friendlies: Who's Taking the Field?
The 2025 MLS campaign represents the most congested schedule in league history, featuring 30 teams participating across five distinct tournaments alongside their standard season commitments.
While the majority of teams aren't involved in more than two competitions simultaneously, several clubs face significantly heavier workloads. Notable examples include Inter Miami CF, Seattle Sounders FC, and Los Angeles FC, who all participated in the FIFA Club World Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, and Leagues Cup, beyond their regular season obligations and possible MLS Cup playoff campaigns.
This extensive fixture congestion leaves minimal opportunity for the customary summer exhibition matches between MLS teams and visiting European clubs seeking mid-season opposition, resulting in only four scheduled games this summer.
Previous years witnessed prestigious clubs like FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, and other elite teams participating in attractive midseason exhibition contests, but this campaign offers limited friendly opportunities.
Aston Villa Head to St. Louis CITY, Nashville SC
English Premier League outfit Aston Villa travels to America this summer, beginning their exhibition tour with a match against St. Louis CITY SC on July 30, followed by an encounter with Nashville SC on August 2.
Despite the ongoing challenge for MLS teams regarding first-team player selection, both fixtures will offer distinctly different tests for the Birmingham-based club that secured sixth place in the Premier League during the previous campaign.
St. Louis CITY has endured significant difficulties this season, dismissing manager Olof Mellberg after merely 15 matches following his abandonment of the team's established identity and playing philosophy in favor of a defensive approach that resulted in multiple defeats.
Despite marginal improvements, St. Louis managed only three victories in their opening 21 fixtures, experiencing limited success despite possessing talented players like Roman Burki, João Klauss, and Cedric Teuchert.
Aston Villa faces a considerably more challenging examination against Nashville, who have maintained their position near the Eastern Conference summit throughout most of the season, featuring the explosive attacking partnership of Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar, both ranking among the league's offensive leaders.
Nevertheless, Nashville currently competes in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals while focusing on continued MLS success and postseason aspirations; they may deploy a significantly rotated lineup against the Premier League visitors.
Philadelphia Union vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Philadelphia Union will host Bundesliga representatives Eintracht Frankfurt on August 2, marking the German club's second consecutive year visiting the United States. Beyond the Philadelphia encounter, Frankfurt will also travel to Louisville for a match against USL Championship team Louisville City.
This initiative forms part of Frankfurt's ongoing internationalization strategy, designed to expand their global presence, particularly in the U.S. market ahead of the co-hosted FIFA World Cup 2026.
Simultaneously, this represents another chapter in the partnership between Frankfurt and Philadelphia, two cities that have maintained official sister city status since 2015, with athletics serving as a crucial element in strengthening their relationship.
The clubs previously met in 2018, with the Union securing a 1-0 victory, and have also facilitated player exchanges, including Marco Fabián's 2019 transfer from Frankfurt to the Union and USMNT midfielder Paxten Aaronson's move to the Bundesliga club after developing through the Union's renowned academy program.
This year's matchup presents compelling storylines as Frankfurt seeks to build upon their third-place 2024-25 Bundesliga finish while preparing for UEFA Europa League competition, and the Union enjoys a promising inaugural season under head coach Bradley Carnell with aspirations for an extended MLS Cup campaign.
D.C. United vs. Ethiopia
Club versus international team encounters remain rare, but D.C. United will experience exactly that when they face Ethiopia. This marks the second consecutive season featuring an MLS team against a national side, following Inter Miami's 2024 match against El Salvador.
The fixture features the 156th-ranked Ethiopian national team against a struggling D.C. United squad that recently dismissed head coach Troy Lesesne following their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal elimination.
Ethiopia, nicknamed the Walia Ibex, achieved historical African success, most notably capturing the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations title. Currently, they're participating in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying rounds and occupy fourth position in CAF Group A after suffering defeat to Egypt while defeating Djibouti earlier this season.
To maintain their CAF qualifying hopes, Ethiopia must secure positive results against Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau while finishing second in their group, which would advance them to the second round and potential bracket play leading to intercontinental playoff qualification.