Manchester United begin their preseason exhibition tour on Saturday, taking on Wrexham AFC in Helsinki, Finland. Yes, it is already that time of year! We’ve already reached that part of the summer. This will be the first match on United’s summer tour, and it could mark debuts for new signings Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow.
United will not go to Asia or the United States this summer, and will instead remain in Europe.
Andrey is up and running 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ULQDSK3JEO
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 14, 2026
Manchester United Preseason Tour 2026
Tour opener vs. Wrexham AFC
Kickoff: July 18, 2026
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
Manchester United play football again on Saturday.
That is all. pic.twitter.com/yWzduzmfXf
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 13, 2026
This is for the purpose of shielding players from potential fatigue brought on by excessive travel, on the heels of the 2026 World Cup. That said, United will play six, yes, six friendlies across the Nordic countries, Ireland and Poland.
That’s a much bigger slate than usual, for any team, actually. And with the added exhibitions, United are getting their preseason started a full week earlier than most clubs, and two weeks earlier than some clubs.
World Cup Related Absences
United will be without several first-teamers who are still featuring for their countries in the World Cup, or have just recently been eliminated.
Additionally, the Red Devils players who competed in the earlier rounds of the tournament would likely miss out on at least this first match here, and join the tour later.
It is customary to hand footballers an extended holiday, following major summer international tournaments, to recover fully before the club season starts up again.
The likes of Lisandro Martinez (Argentina- through to the final), Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo (England- eliminated earlier today), Senne Lammens (Belgium- eliminated a week ago), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco- eliminated in quarterfinals), Amad (Ivory Coast- eliminated in the round of 32), Matheus Cunha (Brazil- eliminated), Altay Bayindir (Turkey- eliminated in group stages) and Tyler Fletcher (Scotland- eliminated in group stages)
Additionally, new signing Youri Tielemans was just announced yesterday, but as he was with Belgium at the tournament, he’ll miss out here as well.
Man United Team News
The only injury absence here is Manuel Ugarte, who suffered a serious knee ligament injury at the World Cup. The club issued a statement earlier today in support of the midfielder, who just successfully underwent surgery to repair the knee ligament injury.
He is expected to miss most of the upcoming season.
With so many players now on World Cup break, this match will provide an opportunity for the youngsters who are pushing for a spot in the senior-team squad to feature.
However, the Santos debut might just be the main storyline here, as he’s already been pictured in full training with the squad.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.