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Wednesday 10 September 2025 14:30
Old Trafford will host a first competitive continental game of the season when Manchester United Under-21s welcome Athletic Club for an exciting Premier League International Cup fixture.
Tickets are available (£10 adults / £5 children) for the 19:00 BST kick-off on Wednesday 24 September.
Academy players and staff would greatly appreciate your support.
Led by coach Travis Binnion — who steered our Under-18s to FA Youth Cup glory at the Theatre of Dreams back in 2022 — our U21s have regularly competed in this tournament, but rarely had such an exciting and historic set of opponents as in 2025/26.
WHAT IS THE PREMIER LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL CUP?
United will host Athletic Club, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting and Anderlecht in the group stages.
Originally launched in 2014, the Premier League International Cup is a 32-team competition in which the top 16 finishers in Premier League 2 face 16 invited international clubs.
All games are hosted in England and played between PL2 teams and international sides only.
Last season, United enjoyed some tight games against Hertha Berlin, Nordsjaelland, PSV Eindhoven and Sparta Prague but didn’t progress further in what is a competitive group stage. Only the top two sides in each eight-team group continue into the knockouts.
Like the FA Youth Cup, EFL Trophy and now National League Cup, the tournament provides a fantastic opportunity to see our talented youngsters playing in a new environment, under pressure against unfamiliar opponents with different playing styles and physicality.
A GREAT CHANCE TO ATTEND OLD TRAFFORD
This season in particular, these games are a fantastic opportunity to attend Old Trafford. With no European football for our senior men’s sides, the International Cup gives a continental feel to the Theatre of Dreams, and may be a great chance for some young Reds to attend their first match at the ground.
HISTORY MEETS THE FUTURE
This season’s draw gives a strange historical quirk, as United’s youngsters face our first three-ever opponents in senior European competition back in 1956/57.
As Matt Busby’s pioneering team entered the newly founded European Cup as English champions, we defeated Anderlecht – including a record 10-0 win at Maine Road – and then Borussia Dortmund, before a memorable two-leg victory over Athletic Club.
That set up a semi-final against reigning champions Real Madrid, who were 5-3 aggregate winners.
Roger Byrne (right) shakes hands with Real Madrid’s Miguel Munoz in the 1957 European Cup.
A SHARED COMMITMENT TO YOUTH
Many decades on, all four clubs we face have a strong history of commitment to youth, especially our first opponents, Athletic, who are famed for their Basque-only policy.
Dortmund’s reputation for producing elite talent has only grown in recent years, and we’ve enjoyed some competitive fixtures against them in the UEFA Youth League, while Sporting’s track record for producing world-class stars is clear, with Cristiano Ronaldo their most famous son.
Anderlecht, meanwhile, have a rich Academy pedigree of their own, having helped develop Premier League stars like Vincent Kompany, Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku.
These fixtures, then, will provide a stern challenge for United’s youngsters.
We face four clubs with a shared commitment to youth, including Sporting, who helped develop Cristiano Ronaldo.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
So, for your chance to watch the next generation of young Reds take the next steps in their United journey, get your tickets now.
Date: Wednesday 24 September
Kick-off: 19:00 BST
Location: Old Trafford
Tickets: £10 adults, £5 children
Where to buy: Here
Wednesday 10 September 2025 14:30
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