Arsenal enjoyed a successful trip to Asia last summer, playing matches in Singapore and Hong Kong in front of thousands of Gunners supporters. However, Mikel Arteta and the rest of the club’s hierarchy have opted for a completely different pre-season destination for their 2026/27 preparations.
As the Premier League has become more globalised, English clubs have chosen to fly their teams out to several different parts of the world, in an attempt to leverage their international fanbase for commercial gain. In recent years, Arsenal have favoured a stateside pre-season tour, while last year they travelled to the Far East.
Arteta’s side will embark on a very different journey this summer, due to an unprecedented off-season schedule.
Arsenal to stay in Europe for 2026 pre-season
If Arsenal reach the Champions League final, then their 2025/26 season won’t end until 30th May. After a couple of days of either celebration or despair, the majority of Arteta’s squad would then jet off to North America to take part in the World Cup for their respective nations.
The international tournament commences on 11th June and ends on 19th July in New Jersey. The 2026/27 Premier League season then kicks off just over a month later on the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd August, giving club teams very little time to prepare for the new campaign. In fact, this will be the latest date at which the Premier League has ever started.
As a result of this busy off-season, Arsenal have opted to keep their pre-season in Europe, ditching plans to tour the United States. According to the Sun, Arteta is keen on keeping travel to a minimum and the North London club are subsequently looking to arrange two friendlies nearby – one of which could be held in Dublin.
With the majority of Arsenal’s squad expected to feature in the World Cup after its expansion to 48 teams, Arteta’s ensemble may not be all together until a week or two prior to the league season starting.
Players will need at least three weeks off after they participate in the tournament, meaning players who reach the latter stages will hardly be given a pre-season.
These pre-season plans reflect well on Arsenal
There’s no doubt that travelling to the United States, Australia, or Southeast Asia would be far more lucrative for Arsenal than remaining in Europe. The Gunners have a sizeable fanbase in each of these regions, and can utilise being stationed there for a few weeks to sell tickets, merchandise and sponsors.
Thus, it’s commendable that Arsenal and Arteta have thought beyond these commercial opportunities and prioritised the players’ well-being.
| Arsenal’s Pre-Season Locations (Last ten years) | |
| Year | Destination(s) |
| 2025 | Hong Kong, Singapore |
| 2024 | USA |
| 2023 | USA, Germany |
| 2022 | USA, Germany |
| 2021 | Scotland (Covid) |
| 2020 | n/a (Covid) |
| 2019 | USA, France, Spain |
| 2018 | Singapore, Ireland, Sweden |
| 2017 | Australia, China |
| 2016 | USA, France, Norway, Sweden |
Constantly flying around the planet and playing in meaningless friendlies can be draining, particularly in the midst of what has become a ridiculously congested and gruelling football calendar. Allowing the players to reset and rest at home, following the World Cup, could be hugely beneficial for both their physical and mental conditions.
It’s a smart move from Arsenal that shows clever foresight and planning.
