More European soccer at the Linc allows fans to go from watching screens to cheering heroes

Over the course of two days in Philadelphia, 105,360 fans flowed through Lincoln Financial Field to take advantage of a rare opportunity to see English Premier League teams in person. Chelsea, Brighton, Fulham, Brentford, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa all passed through as part of the Premier League’s Summer Series, showcasing some of the world’s top talent in a trio of exhibition games.

Philadelphia’s robust soccer community was on display for a celebratory weekend in a future venue of the 2026 World Cup.

Milling through a packed concourse, one where, come September, Eagles fans will be out in full force, fans of a different kind of football convened in a display of Philadelphia’s vast and varied soccer community.

As evidenced by the miscellaneous jerseys on exhibit, that community represented different nations and rooting interests, including Philly’s own MLS side, the Union, as well as clubs from Mexico, Italy, Germany, and of course, from all across the United Kingdom.

Some fans wore national team jerseys, adding an additional flair to the “international festival of soccer” feeling at the Linc both nights. Nations ranging from England, Germany, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, the USA, and beyond were spotted.

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A number of United States men’s national team jerseys graced the stands and tailgates as a multigenerational contingent of fans repped their favorite U.S. players, with both country and club kits on display.

Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea jersey was, by far, the most frequent sighting, with a few A.C. Milan Pulisic jerseys already out as well. Union Berlin’s new signing, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson, had a healthy representation of jersey support as well, as did Texan midfielder Weston McKennie and frequent U.S. captain Tyler Adams.

With the 2026 World Cup just three years away, and Philadelphia acting as one of 26 host cities, the incredible breadth of rooting interests gathering to watch Premier League games this past weekend is likely just a precursor of what everyone will see take hold of the city when the rest of the world arrives.

» READ MORE: Chelsea edges Brighton in Premier League exhibition at Lincoln Financial Field

For many die-hard fans of the world’s favorite game, the weekend was a unique opportunity to see teams they support in person. Most weekend mornings, pubs across the city and living rooms far beyond fill with the familiar hum of English football on the screens. The opportunity to take those remote celebrations to the stands of the Linc drew not only a mass of Philadelphians, but visitors from as far off as Colorado and California.

The majority of the weekend’s 100,000-plus fans arrived at the Linc equipped with the jersey of their favorite player from among the six visiting Premier League teams. Gathering in packs behind the goals and filling the stands beyond them, fans sang the songs of their chosen clubs and added an American twist on some of the chants. Here and there, “Let’s go Chelsea!” rung out in the familiar cadence of cheerleaders, with “Let’s go Brighton!” ringing out in response.

Though the majority of attendees hailed from across the Philadelphia region and beyond, supporters arrived from as far off as the club’s location itself. The opportunity to see their club trial new talent and work through their offseason form while taking a trip to the United States brought a few supporters from Newcastle to London to Brighton.

With the Premier League season still several weeks off, each of the visiting clubs ran out a heavy rotation of players, including a handful of new signings. Fortunately for the crowd in attendance, the matches provided no shortage of thrills as hotly contested matches racked up goals and drama in each edition.

Chelsea defeated a 10-man Brighton, 4-3, after Brighton managed to claw back from a 4-1 deficit in the second half. Fulham played first on Sunday afternoon. The “Fulhamerica” side featuring two U.S. national team players in Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson took pride in their 3-2 victory over nearby Brentford in a stateside West London Derby that, at times, seemed as testy as the actual edition. Capping off a festive weekend replete with high goal counts, Aston Villa roared out of the gates with two early goals over Newcastle, only to see a close back-and-forth exchange of goals end in the lone draw of the weekend, 3-3.

With matches that entertaining, one imagines any non-converted soccer fans pushed to attend the games by their friends or partners might willingly be at the pub soon to watch the Premier League season kick off.