D.C. United and  Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced on Monday morning that United's home, Audi Field, will host an upcoming tournament this summer, featuring four teams from France's Ligue 1. The event, sponsored by Electronic Arts (EA), will take place on July 18 and 21, with two teams on each day.

The four French teams that will participate in 2019 are AS St Etienne, FCG Bordeaux, Olympique de Marseille, and Montpellier HSC. The agreement between United and LFP is to host the tournament for the next three years at Buzzard Point.

"The EA Ligue 1 Games are another opportunity for fans in the District to see world-class soccer talent at Audi Field,” Andy Bush, D.C. United's Chief Revenue Officer, said at the press conference at Audi Field. "Having four elite teams from Europe come to Audi Field shows the strength of the soccer market in the area. We are excited to host the teams and look forward to giving fans a unique soccer experience." 

Ligue 1 is broadening their horizons internationally by playing games in the U.S. and China this summer. While Paris Saint-Germain, a team with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, has a strong global following, the rest of the league lags behind its competition from other top European leagues. In the past 10 plus years, teams from England, Spain, Germany, and Italy have spent time in the U.S., growing their brands.

That hasn't been the case with Ligue 1, and the organization in charge of France's two professional divisions is hoping to change that, starting with the EA Ligue 1 Games. 

"International development is the number one priority for LFP," Didier Quillot, CEO of LFP, said at the press conference. "In this context, it is important to be able to organize events such as the EA Ligue 1 Games to raise awareness of clubs and players of Ligue 1."

Quillot said that the aim for the next five years is for Ligue 1 to surpass Serie A and the Bundesliga as having the third most money generated from international TV rights from leagues in Europe. Currently, in the United States, Ligue 1 is shown on beIN Sports, which is less widely available than ESPN, FOX, and NBC Sports, all of which broadcast games from other top leagues in Europe.

"I want to thank EA Sports for its commitment to us in this ambitious new project," Quillot added. "I also want to thank the clubs of Montpellier, Bordeaux, Olympique de Marseille, and AS Saint-Etienne for their commitment to participate in the EA Ligue 1 Games.”

In addition to this tournament, D.C. United will play Marseille at Audi Field on July 24. It will be the second international friendly in 2019 for the Black-and-Red, who host Spain's Real Betis this Wednesday.