Former England defender Gary Cahill talks Chelsea vs. Real Madrid matchup in Charlotte

Chelsea will soon return to North Carolina for the third consecutive year and take on reigning European champions Real Madrid in a highly anticipated and star-studded preseason matchup at Bank of America Stadium.

Former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill spoke to The Observer ahead of the friendly on Aug. 6, to provide his thoughts on who and what to watch out for when the two clubs come to Charlotte. It’s one of six games that’ll be played across the U.S. during the DIRECTV Soccer Champions Tour.

Cahill spent nearly eight years at Chelsea and was a mainstay of its defense, making 290 appearances across all competitions and helping the London side lift two Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, two Europa League titles and a pair of FA Cups. He also made 61 appearances for England before retiring in 2022.

Cahill traveled to the U.S. for multiple preseason tours during his time with Chelsea and played a friendly for Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium in 2015 against Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.

He was also in attendance for NBC’s Premier League Fan Fest in Orlando in 2023, which had 20,000 people RSVP for the event, according to World Soccer Talk . The bumper attendance stood out to Cahill as a sign of soccer’s growth in the U.S.

“For me, it was an eye-opener,” Cahill said. “It was one of them special moments where you get every supporter all in one place in the Premier League. It obviously blows me away when I come over and see how many Chelsea fans there is in the States, the following and the knowledge they have.”

Chelsea will return to North Carolina for the third year in a row and to Charlotte for the second time in three years for August’s friendly against Real Madrid. The English club brought out large crowds when it played Charlotte FC in 2022 and Wrexham in Raleigh last year .

“It’s nice for the players to come and play in familiar surroundings in terms of sold-out stadiums, 60, 70, 80,000 people watching for a preseason game is really incredible and the support is amazing,” Cahill said.

Chelsea will be under the stewardship of new head coach Enzo Maresca, its third manager in as many years, as it continues to rebuild with a wealth of young talent. The club hasn’t had the same success recently that it had when Cahill was around, finishing 12th and sixth in its last two seasons, but has spent big under new American owner Todd Boehly.

“Everything that’s involved in the settlement of a new squad like that and young players takes a little bit of time,” Cahill said. “There’s certainly the ability in the squad, and just for me as a Chelsea fan now, (it’s about) just watching it grow and almost trying to nurture that.”

“It’s difficult because Chelsea comes with an expectation of winning things and competing season after season after season, nor should that change,” he said. “These players are slowly learning that. … The first time that this young group wins something, it will almost catapult (them) to that next level.”

One player who has hit the ground running since joining Chelsea is 22-year-old Cole Palmer, who scored after coming off the bench in Sunday’s European Championship final in England’s 2-1 loss to Spain.

Palmer, who was acquired from Manchester City last season, scored 27 goals and added 15 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions last year and will likely be one of Chelsea’s many promising young talents on display in Charlotte.

“I think no one really maybe expected his impact to be as big as it was straight away,” Cahill said of Palmer. “He obviously comes from the pedigree of Man City, obviously he’s used to the league a bit more than others. But ability wise, he was phenomenal last season.”

Real Madrid boast much more recent success and a host of world class players. It will arrive in Charlotte as reigning Champions League and La Liga winners.

The Spanish giant is one of the most decorated clubs in the sport’s history with a record 36 La Liga titles and 15 Champions League titles. Its squad is spoiled for quality, with an attack powered by stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, a midfield featuring 2018 Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modric and a backline anchored by recently crowned European Championship winner Dani Carvajal.

“They do seem to have that formula don’t they?” Cahill said of Real Madrid. “I compare it to the time where I moved to Chelsea for example. You’re going into a team that historically challenges and wins titles and trophies and I think every player that must go in there has to buy into that.”

And with Real Madrid’s recent addition of superstar Kylian Mbappe, August’s matchup against Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium will be a star-studded affair — one that Cahill is excited to tune in for.

“That game is gonna be a brilliant game,” Cahill said. “I can’t wait to watch it from a fan’s point of view. It’s definitely going to be one of them where you kind of get around the stadium and think ‘I wish I was still playing here.’”