Manchester United and Real Madrid to face off in Copa de Lone Star Series at NRG this summer

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Football will return to NRG Stadium sooner than we think, though, it won't be the Houston Texans kicking things off.

The Soccer Champions Tour announced Monday that two powerhouses will electrify the home of the Texans as part of the Copa de Lone Star Series.

La Liga stalwart and reigning UEFA Champions League Champions Real Madrid will face English Premier League titans Manchester United on Wednesday, July 26.

The match will mark the first time that the two clubs are meeting in Houston, and it'll be the first time they have met since 2018.

Still, this won't be Real Madrid's first trip to Houston, though before July, their lone visit was four years ago when they played Bayern Munich.

This won't be Manchester United's first rodeo in the Bayou City, either.

Man U, one of the club's commonly known names, will be back at NRG for the third time. They faced Manchester City at the venue in 2017.

Houston is no stranger to being a soccer city.

In addition to having two clubs here, Houston Dynamo FC and the Houston Dash, the fourth largest city in the country will also play host to matches during the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.

Nearly one year ago, NRG was announced as one of 16 North American venues to host games of the prestigious international football tournament. It follows a four-year journey by a bid committee that sold FIFA on not just the structural advantages of NRG Stadium, but also the culture of one of the most diverse cities in the United States.

In all, 60 matches with a 48-country field are planned for the "United 2026" World Cup, which will be hosted by three countries for the first time in tourney history.

Meanwhile, the Copa de Lone Star returns to Houston for the second year in a row.

Manchester City and Club America faced off in the event's inaugural match in 2022 in front of over 60,000 fans at NRG.

For the July match, pre-sale tickets are available starting Tuesday. General on-sale ticket access starts on Friday.

You can sign up to join the waitlist for the pre-sale by following this link.

SOCCER CHAMPIONS TOUR SCHEDULE

Saturday, July 22

FC Barcelona vs. Juventus at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Sunday, July 23

Real Madrid vs. AC Milan at The Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA

Wednesday, July 26

Arsenal vs. FC Barcelona at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Wednesday, July 26

Real Madrid vs. Manchester United at NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Thursday, July 27

Juventus vs. AC Milan at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA

Saturday, July 29

FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Tuesday, Aug. 1

AC Milan vs. FC Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

Wednesday, Aug. 2

Juventus vs. Real Madrid at Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL

The video above is from our previous report about the World Cup matches coming to Houston.