Manchester United will kick off their summer pre-season campaign with a return to Scandinavia, a region that has become a popular destination for the club over the past 14 years. This marks the eighth visit during that period, continuing the strong connection the team has established with its northern European fanbase.
The Red Devils have developed a tradition of playing friendlies in Scandinavian countries, often drawing large crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Since 2019, Manchester United have consistently included one-off matches in the region as part of their pre-season schedule, with the exception of the Covid-19 years in 2020 and 2021, when international travel was not possible.
Last summer, United faced Rosenborg in Trondheim, Norway. Other notable encounters in the past six years include fixtures against Leeds United, Atletico Madrid, and Kristiansund, the hometown club of former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
This July, Manchester United will meet Leeds United once again in a pre-season fixture. Their previous match last year saw United claim a 2-0 victory, with goals scored by young talents Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill. This year’s encounter will take place at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, with the game scheduled for 14:00 BST (15:00 CET) on 19 July.
The venue holds significance for United, as it was formerly known as the Friends Arena and hosted the club’s Europa League triumph over Ajax in 2017. From that victorious squad, only Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford remain, although Shaw missed the final due to injury. Rashford’s future at the club remains uncertain. Interestingly, current United goalkeeper Andre Onana and defender Matthijs de Ligt both featured for Ajax in that match.
The upcoming game will be United’s first preseason appearance in Sweden since 2016. On that occasion, under the management of Jose Mourinho, the team defeated Galatasaray 5-2 in Gothenburg. Mourinho returned to Stockholm the following year, leading United to their Europa League success.
In 2013, the Friends Arena also hosted United for a 1-1 draw against AIK, marking David Moyes’ first European fixture in charge. That match followed a tour of East Asia and Australia, reflecting United’s tradition of preparing for the season through extensive global travel.
Following the Scandinavian leg of their pre-season, Manchester United will head to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series, featuring three fixtures across the country as part of their summer preparations.
