In addition to intensive training sessions at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, which has ideal conditions for the squad, the USA tour will feature two friendlies, against hosts Louisville City and then versus FC Juárez, in Ciudad de Juárez, in the north of Mexico.
After nine days in Louisville, Eintracht will head to New York on 31 July.
FC Juárez and Louisville City
On Thursday 25 July (19:30 local time), the Eagles will play Mexican first-division side FC Juárez in Ciudad de Juárez, in the north of Mexico, at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juaréz (capacity: 22,300). Los Bravos de Juárez finished 12th in the Liga MX Clausura this season, which was played between January and April. In the Liga MX Apertura, which ran from July – November 2023, Brazilian head coach Mauricio Barbieri’s team finished 15th.
Then on Tuesday 30 July, Eintracht will face Louisville City in the 15,300-seater Lynn Family Stadium (kick-off: 20:00 local time). LouCity, under the guidance of 34-year-old American head coach Danny Cruz, are well into their 2024 season and currently sit atop the USL Championship Eastern Conference after 13 matches.
Eintracht’s training camp in the USA is supported by Louisville Tourism, whose website will provide you with all the information you need for your trip to the banks of the Ohio River.
Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, or “the Bluegrass State”, whose capital is Frankfort, is the gateway to the south of the USA. While the team will be fully focused on preparing for the coming season, fans who have come along for the journey will have plenty of activities to enjoy. The city is the birthplace of Muhammad Ali, and fans can go on a “Footsteps of Greatness” tour, which will take them through various stages of the boxing legend’s life. Old Louisville is the largest Victorian-era district in the USA, and the city also offers a variety of culinary delights including a whole host of regional classics, as well as the Urban Bourbon Trail, which is guaranteed to raise the spirits. Visitors can also relax in Central Park, take a trip back in time on the Belle of Louisville riverboat, and take in the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum.
From Austin, Buffalo and Columbus via Milwaukee and New York City to San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle, the Eagles have made their mark in so many cities across the United States over the years, dating back to the 1950s. It all began with the Goodwill Tour, which saw the Eagles play eight friendlies across 25 days, drawing combined crowds of 70,000 spectators and generating 50,000 dollars in donations which went towards the renovations of the stand at the Riederwald stadium. “Without those 50,000 dollars, there is no way that we would have won the German league title in 1959 and we would not be where we are now,” said Axel Hellmann, CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG.
One of the focal points of that trip was New York, and Eintracht’s presence in the city that never sleeps is now bigger than ever.
In 2020, as part of their globalisation strategy, the club unveiled their own office at the location of their main sponsor Indeed in New York, at a “Building Bridges” event on 10 January.
You can read more about Eintracht’s close ties to the Big Apple as well as a general history of the club’s footballing associations with the USA here:
FAQ about the Frankfurt Americas Tour
What is the programme for the trip?
Eintracht will head to Louisville, Kentucky on Monday 22 July. Training will be held at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center. On 25 July, head coach Dino Toppmöller’s team will play a friendly in Ciudad de Juárez, in northern Mexico, against FC Juárez (kick-off at the Estadio Olimpico Benito at 19:30 local time). On their return to Louisville, the team will continue to train for the next few days, before facing local team Louisville City on 30 July at the Lynn Family Stadium (kick-off: 20:00 local time). The squad will leave Louisville on 31 July and head to New York, before returning to Frankfurt on 2 August.
Why are Eintracht Frankfurt travelling to the USA?
Eintracht and the USA have a long-standing history, beginning with the 1951 Goodwill Tour. Between 2017, the Eagles held four training camps in the USA, and a total of 12 official Eintracht fan clubs have been established across the length and breadth of the country. Eintracht can expect ideal conditions in both Louisville, Kentucky and in New York. Trips such as the Eintracht Americas Tour 2024 give the club the opportunity to increase the visibility of the Eintracht Frankfurt brand in highly significant markets such as the US, and allow opportunities to gather deeper insights into that market. Eintracht worked on the forthcoming trip in close collaboration with the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, which is constantly looking to increase the visibility of the Bundesliga and its clubs in the USA and Latin America, as part of its international marketing strategy.
Where are Eintracht training in Louisville?
The squad will train at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, home of the respective women’s and men’s professional teams of Louisville City and Racing Louisville. This state-of-the-art, centrally located facility offers ideal conditions for the club to prepare for the 2024/25 season.
Will any training sessions be open to public?
Eintracht Frankfurt will provide separate information about public training sessions. The contact person for fans on site is Marc Francis. There are three WhatsApp groups for Louisville, Juárez and New York City. Simply send a message to +49 160 90589345 and become part of the community.
In general, it's always worth checking the Eintracht channels regularly to stay up to date until the return trip on August 2.
History: Eintracht and the USA
From Austin, Buffalo and Columbus via Milwaukee and New York City to San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle, the Eagles have left their mark on so many US cities over the years. The relationship began in the 1950s and is still going strong today. For a more in-depth look at the history of the club in the USA, click here.
What is the weather like in Louisville?
The average temperature in Louisville, Kentucky in July is between 21 and 32 degrees Celsius.
When and where will tickets go on sale for the friendlies?
- Tickets Juárez: Click here
- Tickets Louisville: Click here
Will the friendlies be broadcast live?
Yes, EintrachtTV and Sky Sport Bundesliga will be showing both matches live. In the US: Fox Deportes; in Latin America: Fox Sports Mexico.
What leisure activities are there in Louisville?
Louisville is the gateway to the south of the USA. It is the birthplace of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and the largest city in the state of Kentucky. The ‘Bourbon City’, as it is known, has such attractions as the ‘Footsteps of Greatness’ tour focusing on Ali, Central Park, a trip back in time on the Belle of Louisville riverboat and plenty of restaurants and bars, as well as the Urban Bourbon Trail. For sports and in particular baseball fans, there is also the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, while Old Louisville is the largest Victorian-era district in the USA. For all you need to know about visiting this picturesque city on the Ohio River, check out the Louisville Tourism website: https://www.gotolouisville.com
What are the conditions of entry into the USA?
According to the German Foreign Office website: “As participants in the US visa waiver programme, German citizens can travel to the USA for tourism, business or transit purposes without a visa, insofar as they have a valid electronic travel document (e-passport with a chip), a valid electronic entry permit (ESTA) and a valid return or onward flight ticket”. You are advised to submit your ESTA application at least 72 hours before travel. The ESTA application costs 21 US dollars. Please get all the information you need regarding ESTA procedures as well as any possible exceptions and entry conditions in advance.
What do I need to know about travel to Mexico?
Take your passport with you. German citizens do not need a visa on entry for tourist purposes. According to the German Foreign Office: “Travellers who enter Mexico by land need to obtain an electronic tourist card or an entry permit from a German Migration Institute (INM) office, even if these documents may not specifically be required by the Mexican authorities (…) The card will be stamped upon crossing the border with a period of validity. The traveller must carry their copy of the tourist card with them at all times and present it upon leaving Mexico.“ Travellers who enter by air no longer require a tourist card. Please get all the information you need regarding possible exceptions and entry conditions in advance.
The FAQ section will be continually updated.
Eintracht fans can also take a look at the Fan-Relations-Facebook-page.