Passion play: Manchester United Summer Tour 2023 presented by Snapdragon
The summer of Snapdragon is on a roll thanks to our friends at Manchester United. For the first time in five years, the storied football club came to the U.S. for its pre-season Summer Tour ’23 presented by Snapdragon. We pulled out all the stops to share the passion of Manchester United and the game of football (or soccer, for us Americans) across the country; from hosting the team’s training camp in our beautiful hometown of San Diego, to kicking things up a notch in New York, Houston and Las Vegas.
In each city, Manchester United’s global fans brought the energy: they chanted team songs, wore their team kits with pride and waved their flags grandly. And for us, the best part was sharing this once-in-a-lifetime moment with our own beloved club: Snapdragon Insiders.
You deserve to be a Snapdragon Insider
A match made in San Diego
When we heard that the club was planning to tour in the States, having them play at Snapdragon Stadium was a no-brainer, sealing the deal for San Diego to host Manchester United for the first time ever. And that’s how San Diego became not only Manchester United’s home base for Summer Tour ’23, but also the destination location for the inaugural Snapdragon Cup.1
The inaugural Snapdragon Cup was a sellout, breaking an attendance record for Snapdragon Stadium with more than 34,000 people in attendance. In the end, Qualcomm President & CEO Cristiano Amon and CMO Don McGuire presented the Snapdragon Cup to Preuss School Executive Director Dr. Helen Griffith (far left). Although Manchester United’s youth-focused squad didn’t come out on top in this friendly match against Wrexham AFC, it was an exciting game with the flashes of brilliance we expect to see regularly in the upcoming Premier League season.
Snapdragon Insiders kick up, kick back and have fun
Hopefully, you had the opportunity to experience the thrill of experiencing a Manchester United match in the States in person. But in case you missed it, here’s some of our most fun and memorable moments.
#SnapdragonKickUps
We kicked off with our #SnapdragonKickUps contest, where more than 700 soccer and tech fans of all ages around the world showed us their best kick ups through video submissions. Exactly 10 lucky winners from around the world even won a premium smart phone with Snapdragon technology and were flown out for a VIP trip to attend the match at Snapdragon Stadium.
New York, Manchester United style
Snapdragon Insider Wayne accepted defender Christian Eriksen’s challenge to capture Manchester United style on the streets of the Big Apple. Fans were decked out in Red Devil spirit to prepare for the match versus Arsenal at MetLife Stadium on July 22.
California gets a vibe check
Goalkeeper Andre Onana wanted to check the pre-match vibes at the Snapdragon Cup and boy, were they strong. Snapdragon Insider Surin captured how United fans gear up California-style. Cast in the glow of a classic San Diego sunset, the friendly versus Wrexham AFC took place on July 25.
Don’t mess with Texas (appetites)
By the time the club arrived at NRG Stadium for the match versus Real Madrid on July 26, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and defender Raphael Varane were hungry for more Snapdragon Insiders content. Our pal Jason captured all the delicious ways fans stay fueled throughout the game.
Seeing red in Nevada
Defender Victor Lindelof challenged club photographer — and fellow Snapdragon Insider — Ash to show us what it was like to be a part of the Las Vegas Red Zone, an area specifically created for United fans at Allegiant Stadium during the match versus Borussia Dortmund on July 30.
A new season in store
We’re grateful to Manchester United, their fans and all our Snapdragon Insiders who made this tour a blast. If you missed out this time, don’t worry — there’s always more on the way Snapdragon Insiders. Simply join the community for these kinds of inspiring events and more.
Most of all, we’d like to wish Manchester United the best of luck throughout the ‘23/’24 English Premier League season!
1: The Snapdragon Cup was donated to The Preuss School, a unique charter middle and high school located on the University of California, San Diego campus. The school prepares scholars to become the first in their families to graduate from college and has been recognized as the best high school in San Diego County by U.S. News & World Report. We applaud their efforts to empower students and transform communities.
