ESPN's pick of preseason friendlies -- when are the biggest ties of the summer?
With the World Cup over and the Premier League returning in a month, teams are back in preseason action soon, but who are they playing and when?
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The World Cup is now over and it is already only a month to go until the Premier League season gets up and running once again.
And with club football already only just around the corner, their preseason campaigns are set to get under way in all four corners of the globe.
But when and where are the biggest preseason clashes of the summer?
Fear not, we have it all here for you -- all times below are BST unless stated otherwise.
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Arsenal
Arsenal are looking to defend their Premier League title this season. Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League The Gunners have foregone a long-distance journey this summer, with only a trip to Girona and Dublin scheduled, as Mikel Arteta's men take on Girona and Real Betis respectively ahead of their Premier League title defence.
They then ramp up with a very enticing clash against Borussia Dortmund at Emirates Stadium on Aug. 9, a week before they Community Shield clash with Manchester City in Cardiff.
Arsenal preseason fixtures:
Aug. 1: Girona vs. Arsenal -- Girona, 7 p.m.
Aug. 5: Arsenal vs. Real Betis -- Dublin, 7.30 p.m.
Aug. 9: Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund -- Emirates Stadium, 2 p.m.
Aug. 12: Arsenal vs. Como -- Emirates Stadium, 7.30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Community Shield -- Arsenal vs. Man City, Cardiff, 3 p.m.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa are hoping for more glory this season. Ozan KOSE / AFP via Getty Images Europa League winners Aston Villa are embarking on a major preseason tour, which sees them play as many as seven matches this summer, as well as the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.
Their most intriguing fixture is one against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on Aug. 7, five days before the Super Cup.
Aston Villa preseason fixtures:
July 21: Walsall vs. Aston Villa -- Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, 7.30 p.m.
July 25: Porto vs. Aston Villa -- Estadio Do Dragao, 7 p.m.
July 28: Aston Villa vs. Real Sociedad -- Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, 7.30 p.m.
Aug. 1: Indonesia All-Stars vs. Aston Villa -- Jakarta, 1 p.m.
Aug. 4: BG Pathum United vs. Aston Villa -- Pathum Thani, 1.30 p.m.
Aug. 7: Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich -- Hong Kong, 1 p.m.
Aug. 12: UEFA Super Cup -- PSG vs. Aston Villa -- Salzburg, 8 p.m.
Aug. 15: Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Aston Villa -- Borussia--Park, 2.30 p.m.
Chelsea
Chelsea preseason fixtures:
After a summer in which many of their key stars were not at the World Cup, Chelsea have a fairly busy preseason, with fixtures against London rivals Tottenham and Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan in Sydney, Hong Kong and Jakarta respectively.
July 28: Chelsea vs. Western Sydney Wanderers -- Sydney, 10.45 a.m.
Aug. 1: Chelsea vs. Tottenham -- Sydney, 10.45 a.m.
Aug. 5: Chelsea vs. Juventus -- Hong Kong, 12.30 p.m.
Aug. 8: Chelsea vs. AC Milan -- Jakarta, 1 p.m.
Aug. 9: Johor Darul Ta'zim vs --Chelsea -- Johor, 1 p.m.
Liverpool
Andoni Iraola will hope for a better season with Liverpool. Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images After a disappointing title defence and a change in manager, Liverpool head Stateside for their preseason this time around.
Andoni Iraola's men have a mouthwatering clash against Wrexham in New York on July 30, also facing Sunderland and Leeds in Nashville and Chicago respectively, before finishing their preseason at Anfield.
Liverpool preseason fixtures:
July 25: Liverpool vs. Sunderland -- Nashville, 11 p.m.
July 30: Liverpool vs. Wrexham -- New York, 12.30 a.m.
Aug. 2: Liverpool vs. Leeds -- Chicago, 9 p.m.
Aug. 9: Liverpool vs. Monaco -- Anfield, 2.30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Liverpool vs. Como -- Anfield, 6 p.m.
Manchester City
Manchester City will not have Pep Guardiola as manager for the first time in a decade. Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images Manchester City will begin life without Pep Guardiola with three matches in Asia that all catch the eye.
Enzo Maresca will take charge of his first match as City boss against Italian champions Inter on Aug. 1 in Hong Kong, before a matches against K--League All Stars and Atletico Madrid in Seoul and then the Community Shield.
Manchester City preseason fixtures:
Aug. 1: Man City vs. Inter Milan -- Hong Kong, 12.30 p.m.
Aug. 5: K-League All Stars vs. Man City -- Seoul, 12 p.m.
Aug. 9: Man City vs. Atletico Madrid -- Seoul, 12 p.m.
Aug. 16: Community Shield -- Arsenal vs. Man City -- Cardiff, 3 p.m.
Manchester United
Manchester United are back in the Champions League this season. Getty Michael Carrick's first preseason in charge of Manchester United has already begun, with his side losing 1--0 to Wrexham in Helsinki.
They have some far bigger preseason clashes to come, with United facing Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, Leeds in Dublin and AC Milan in Wroclaw in August.
Manchester United preseason fixtures:
July 18: Man United 0--1 Wrexham -- Helsinki
July 24: Man United vs. Rosenborg -- Trondheim, 5 p.m.
August 1: Man United vs. Atletico Madrid -- Stockholm, 2 p.m.
August 8: Man United vs. PSG -- Gothenburg, 4 p.m.
August 12: Man United vs. Leeds -- Dublin, 7.30 p.m.
August 15: Man United vs. AC Milan -- Wroclaw, 3.45 p.m.
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe is hoping for a better season with Newcastle. MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images Another who have technically already begun their preseason with a 3--0 win over Darlington behind closed doors, Newcastle face local side Gateshead on July 25.
They have opted not to travel too much, with their two away matches coming at the Estadio Mestalla where they face Valencia and an intriguing matchup with Everton at Scotland's national rugby stadium Murrayfield.
Newcastle preseason fixtures:
July 18: Newcastle 3--0 Darlington -- Newcastle training ground*
July 25: Gateshead vs. Newcastle -- Gateshead International Stadium, 12.30 p.m.
July 29: Bristol City vs. Newcastle -- Ashton Gate, 7.30 p.m.
Aug. 8: Valencia vs. Newcastle -- Mestalla, 8 p.m.
Aug. 12: Everton vs. Newcastle -- Murrayfield, 5.15 p.m.
Aug. 15: Newcastle vs. Bayer Leverkusen -- St James' Park, 3 p.m.
Aug. 16: Newcastle vs. Strasbourg -- St James' Park, 4 p.m.
(* denotes game played behind closed doors)
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham managed to stay in the Premier League last season on the final day. Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images After managing to avoid relegation last season, Tottenham have a Premier League campaign to prepare for and they are travelling down under this summer.
Roberto De Zerbi will take on Xabi Alonso in the first of at least three clashes with Chelsea this season in Sydney on Aug. 1, while Spurs face Hoffenheim on Aug. 15 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham preseason fixtures:
July 22: Tottenham vs. MK Dons -- Spurs training ground*, 4 p.m.
July 26: Tottenham vs. Auckland FC -- Auckland, 4.30 a.m.
July 29: Tottenham vs. Sydney FC -- Sydney, 10.45 a.m.
Aug. 1: Tottenham vs. Chelsea -- Sydney, 10.45 a.m.
Aug. 8: Tottenham vs. Getafe -- Spurs training ground*, 3 p.m.
Aug. 15: Tottenham vs. Hoffenheim -- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 3 p.m.
Aug. 16: Tottenham vs. Hoffenheim -- Spurs training ground*
What about outside the Premier League?
Barcelona
LaLiga champions Barcelona have a rather intriguing preseason, travelling to St Andrew's to face Birmingham City on July 31, before playing two 45 minute matches back-to-back against Nottingham Forest and Udinese at Stadio Friuli.
Barcelona preseason fixtures:
July 24: Barcelona vs. CE Europa -- Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper*, 12 p.m.
July 31: Birmingham City vs. Barcelona -- St Andrew's, 7.45 p.m.
Aug. 8: Barcelona vs. Nottingham Forest -- Stadio Friuli, 8 p.m.
Aug. 8: Udinese vs. Barcelona -- Stadio Friuli, 9 p.m.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid welcome Jose Mourinho back to the Santiago Bernabeu. Photo by Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images Real Madrid's preseason on the face of it is not the most intriguing.
But then you throw Jose Mourinho back into the mix and suddenly it very much is.
Los Blancos face Leganes, Fiorentina and Deportivo La Coruna before they look to launch a more successful season than the one just gone.
Real Madrid preseason fixtures
July 28: Real Madrid vs. Leganes -- Ciudad Real Madrid Campo 7, 10.30 a.m.
Aug. 1: Real Madrid vs. Fiorentina -- Sportpark Klagenfurt, 5 p.m.
Aug. 12: Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Madrid -- Estadio Albanca-Riazor, 8 p.m.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will hope to go all the way in the Champions League. Photo by RONALD WITTEK/EPA/Shutterstock (16894868ei) Bayern Munich head over to Asia this summer and their clash with Aston Villa is the headline fixture.
They then welcome RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena to wrap up their preseason campaign.
Bayern Munich preseason fixtures
July 25: Wehen Wiesbaden vs. Bayern Munich -- Brita-Arena, 14.30 p.m.
July 30: Rottach--Egern vs. Bayern Munich -- Sportplatz Birkenmoos, 5 p.m.
Aug. 4: Jeju SK vs. Bayern Munich -- Jeju World Cup Stadium, 12 p.m.
Aug. 7: Bayern Munich vs. Aston Villa -- Kai Tak Sports Park, 1 p.m.
Aug. 15: Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig -- Allianz Arena, 2.30 p.m.
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG will hope they can once again win the Champions League this summer. Odd ANDERSEN / AFP via Getty Images After winning the Champions League, Paris Saint--Germain have kept it light this summer.
They play just two preseason matches, beginning in Mallorca, before playing Manchester United in Sweden, ahead of the Super Cup against Aston Villa in Salzburg.
PSG preseason fixtures
Aug. 5: Mallorca vs. PSG -- Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, 9 p.m.
Aug. 8: PSG vs. Manchester United -- Gothenburg, 4 p.m.
Aug. 12: PSG vs. Aston Villa -- Red Bull Arena, 8 p.m.
