United target new stadium for 2035 Women’s World Cup Final
Manchester United have proposed their planned 100,000-capacity stadium as a venue for the 2035 Women’s World Cup final.
Manchester United have set out plans to build the largest football stadium in the UK, close to their current Old Trafford site, and have indicated that it could be open well in advance of the 2035 tournament.
The proposed £2bn ground has been presented as a potential host venue for the final, as part of the United Kingdom and Ireland’s joint bid to stage the Women’s World Cup. The bid is being led by The Football Association and is expected to be submitted to FIFA by the end of 2025.
The UK and Ireland remain the sole bidders for the 2035 edition of the tournament, which would mark the first time the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been hosted across the four nations. The tournament would follow the expanded UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland and reflect growing interest and investment in the women’s game across Europe.
United have estimated a five-to-six-year timeline for the completion of the new stadium, a timescale first outlined by minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March.
Initial architectural plans have already been released, with the first drawings unveiled in London in March. Lord Coe, who chaired the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force last year, has recently been appointed Chair-Designate of the Mayoral Development Corporation for the wider Old Trafford area. Manchester United have expressed support for his appointment.
Funding discussions remain ongoing. While Manchester United have been negotiating the refinancing of existing debt, £327.9m in senior secured notes and £180m in revolving credit, both maturing in June 2025, they have yet to confirm how the new stadium project will be financed. Options under consideration include external investment through a subsidiary vehicle, although no formal plan has been finalised.
No planning application has been submitted to date.
Lord Seb Coe, “This is about so much more than just a stadium. It’s about listening to and working with residents to create a vibrant, inclusive district, with high quality housing, green spaces, world class leisure and education facilities, and improved transport links.
“Twenty years on from securing the Olympic and Paralympic Games for this country, I’m ready to help deliver a vision of equal scale and ambition. I can’t wait to get started.”
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