Barcelona & Real Madrid not included in initial 2023 tour plans for La Liga tournament in U.S. and Mexico

• La Liga to tour North America for pre-season
• No Real Madrid or Barcelona
• Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Betis and Sociedad to headline

WHAT HAPPENED? Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have visited the states in the past, will not participate in the tour.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The tour is the most recent effort to raise the visibility of La Liga in North America. La Liga North America president Boris Gartner remarked that the continent's vast Spanish-speaking population makes it possible to forge closer ties with its supporters. Indeed, there is a strong following already in the United States, though many fans will be disappointed the league's most iconic teams will not be present.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Four exhibition games will be played throughout the visit, with Atletico Madrid playing Real Sociedad in Monterrey, Mexico, on August 2, and Betis and Sevilla playing in Guadalajara on the same day. Three days later, the journey will come to an end with a doubleheader at Oracle Park in San Francisco, with Atleti playing Sevilla and Real Sociedad playing Real Betis.