Manchester United pre-season tour could see historic Croke Park clash change | OneFootball

Manchester United recently confirmed their pre-season plans for 2026, with the club opting for a European Tour rather than long-haul trips across the globe, despite interest from Asia.

Games will begin on 18 July in Helsinki against Wrexham, followed by a trip to Trondheim to face Rosenborg, before a double-header in Sweden against European giants Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

United then travel to Dublin to play old rivals Leeds United on 12 August before rounding off the Tour in Wroclaw, Poland, against AC Milan three days later.

One fixture in jeopardy

However, one of United’s games might yet be subject to change, with the remainder of the current season set to determine whether Leeds can fulfil their pre-season fixture.

Should Daniel Farke’s side get relegated from the Premier League, EFL start dates will mean Leeds will have to rejig their warm-up games, and the United match will be affected.

Similarly, if the Yorkshire club somehow go on to win the FA Cup, Community Shield commitments will also disrupt the game and mean Leeds will not be able to participate in Ireland.

However, Croke Park chief executive Peter McKenna has spoken on the potential issue and has assured supporters United will be playing against someone on 12 August, even if it isn’t Leeds.

As reported by BBC Sport, McKenna said whilst he is “confident” Leeds will avoid relegation, he does think they have a chance in the FA Cup and is prepared for finding an alternative opponent should that be the case.

“That is the joy of sport, you never know what the result is going to be. It is very clear Manchester United will be here on 12th. The opposition is Leeds but there are a couple of concerns (relegation or cup win).

If it does, we will just have to chase different opposition,” he said.

History in the making

If the fixture does go ahead, it will be the first time two English teams have met at the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, so finding another English opponent would surely be top of the priority list if Leeds do pull out.

Missing out on a slice of history would no doubt put a slight dampener on the fixture, with the 82,000-seater arena ready to host a clash steeped in rivalry and passion from the two sets of fans.

Naturally, United will hope everything goes as planned but will be desperate to plunge their old rivals closer to the drop by beating them at Old Trafford in their next fixture.

It will have been over three weeks since United have been in action when they cross the white line against Farke’s men, who find themselves in fifteenth position but still in with a very real chance of relegation.

United, on the other hand, badly need the points to solidify their place in the top five of the Premier League, knowing that five wins from their last seven games will guarantee them qualification for next season’s Champions League.

It’s set to be a red-hot atmosphere on Monday night, with both sides in need of the points as well as securing the all-important bragging rights before the season’s out.

Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images

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