In recent seasons, Manchester United have played friendly matches all across the globe, including in such exotic locations as the United States, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Australia, Shanghai, Singapore and many more. This time however, after confirming their 2026 summer friendly fixture list, the Red Devils will be staying in Europe.
However, one of their opponents, namely Leeds United, may require a last minute change, should one of Man United's historic rivals suffer a miserable end to the campaign.
Manchester United's pre-season fixture list
- Saturday 18 July. Wrexham. Helsingin Olympiastadion - Helsinki, Finland. Kick off 6pm (local).
- Friday 24 July. Rosenborg. Lerkendal Stadion - Trondheim, Norway. Kick off 6pm (local).
- Saturday 1 August. Atlético Madrid. Nationalarenan - Solna, Sweden. Kick off 3pm (local).
- Saturday 8 August. Paris Saint-Germain. Nya Ullevi - Göteborg, Sweden. Kick off 5pm (local).
- Wednesday 12 August. Leeds United. Croke Park - Dublin, Ireland. Kick off 7:30pm (local).
Manchester United currently have fixtures in Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland on their summer schedule, ahead of the opening weekend of the Premier League season which is 22/23 August.
First, they'll take on world-famous Wrexham in Helsinki, before the short trip over to Trondheim to meet Rosenborg. Nicknamed the Troll Children, they are Norway's most successful club, having picked up 26 league titles, albeit the most-recent of these came in 2018. Rosenborg have previously faced Southampton, Blackburn, Arsenal and Chelsea in various UEFA competitions, but never Man United. Alfred Johansson's side should provide a tough test, given that the Eliteserien runs from March to December, so they'll be mid-season.
After that, it'll be Atlético Madrid in Stockholm, returning to the stadium where José Mourinho and his team won the Europa League against Ajax nine years ago. Michael Carrick's team will then take on PSG in Göteborg, both of which are likely to provide good litmus tests, with the Red Devils on course to secure a Champions League return.
The most noteworthy fixture though is the final one. On 12 August, over 70,000 Irish-based Man United fans will get the chance to witness their side at the iconic GAA stadium that is Croke Park in Dublin. They are currently scheduled to face fierce rivals Leeds United, but could a last minute replacement be required?
Should Leeds be relegated, their campaign would start in the Carabao Cup between 7-10 August before the EFL Championship season commences the following weekend, 14-17 August. Thus, with this friendly taking place on the Wednesday in-between, Leeds would not be able to play on the Monday or Friday either side, which could cause an issue for broadcasters who would take priority over a friendly.
Even if their fixtures were at the weekend, they may not want to play Premier League opposition after the competitive campaign has began. With Leeds currently four points above the drop zone, this should not be an issue, albeit Daniel Farke's team are far from out of the woods ust yet. Thus, as much as many Man United supporters would love to see one of their oldest rivals go down, this would surely cause a headache for club staff.
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