The most important information (click to go)
‘A total of 10 Champions League trophies, over a billion fans across five continents, and a history that has shaped modern football.’ This is how the organisers of the Super Match 2026 have announced the two teams that will play a friendly match at Tarczyński Arena in Wroclaw on Saturday 15 August at 4:45 p.m.
The match against Milan in Wroclaw will be the Red Devils’ final warm-up before the start of the 2026/2027 season. The Old Trafford side, which are currently being rebuilt, have something to prove, as they failed to make an impact in Europe last year. In any case, United have waited for international success for nearly 10 years and for the English championship for even longer.
European and domestic trophies
Manchester United won the European Cup for the first time in the 1967/1968 season. The team was coached by Sir Matt Busby at the time. The Scot is the second most successful coach after his compatriot Sir Alex Ferguson in the history of the Red Devils. In the victorious final against Benfica, the goals at the iconic Wembley Stadium were scored by the legendary Bobby Charlton (two), George Best and Brian Kidd.
It took the Old Trafford side 26 years to achieve their next major success in Europe’s top competition, which was renamed the Champions League. The final of the 1998/1999 campaign is a chapter in its own right in the history of club football and one of those matches that will be remembered forever. At Barcelona’s famous Nou Camp, Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were losing to Bayern Munich 0–1 throughout normal time, until, in stoppage time, Teddy Sheringham first equalised and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed the victory.
Their third Champions League triumph came in the 2007/2008 season. The hero of the final against Chelsea in Moscow was the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who saved Nicolas Anelka’s penalty in the shoot-out to the delight of his teammates. Just moments earlier, Ryan Giggs had scored in his 759th appearance for United. To this day, it remains the club’s all-time record, previously held by Bobby Charlton.
Manchester went on to reach the Champions League final twice – in 2009 and 2011 – but they had to concede a defeat to Barcelona on both occasions. Nevertheless, three finals in four years remain a source of pride for the club to this day.
Other prestigious European trophies in United’s display case include the 2016/2017 Europa League, won after a 2–0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam, as well as the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup.
The trophies from domestic competitions definitely take up much more space on the shelf:
- 20 English league titles (most recently in 2013),
- 13 FA Cups (the last one in 2024),
- 6 League Cups (the last one in 2023),
- 21 Community Shields for victory in the annual match between the English champions and the FA Cup winner (last held in 2016).
The biggest transfers of the summer
This season, Michael Carrick’s team will compete in the Champions League as the third-placed Premier League side in the last campaign. This will mark a return to European competition of any kind following a year’s absence caused by the disastrous 2024/2025 season, in which United’s players finished 15th in the Premier League.
The most significant signings so far during the transfer window, which is still open, are (as at 5 August):
- midfielder Youri Tielemans (Belgium), signed from Aston Villa for 41 million EUR,
- midfielder Andrey Santos (Brazil), signed from Chelsea for 56.3 million EUR.
Marcus Rashford has returned from his loan spell at Barcelona, but it is unclear whether the striker will stay for the long term, as rumours associate him with several other clubs. Among those returning to Old Trafford from abroad is the goalkeeper Andre Onana, known for his eccentric behaviour on the pitch, though he also may well be sent elsewhere again.
Among those who left Manchester this summer were Brazilian midfielder Casemiro (to Miami), striker Rasmus Hojlund (sold to Napoli for 44 million EUR), striker Jordan Sancho and defender Tyler Malacia (both currently without a club).
Bruno Fernandes and other United leaders
In addition to the two outstanding new signings – Tielemans and Santos – the United squad includes, among others:
- England defender Harry Maguire, who has made over 250 appearances for the Reds since 2019,
- Argentinian defender Lisandro Martínez – current World Cup silver medallist and former World Cup winner,
- midfielder Mason Mount – a Champions League winner with Chelsea and a regular for the England national team,
- Bruno Fernandes, a creative midfielder from Portugal, who has scored over 100 goals for United over several seasons and led the team to the Europa League final.
- Manchester United will kick off the 2026/2027 Premier League season with an away match against Hull on 22 August, exactly one week after their friendly against Milan in Wroclaw.
