While many people's attention will be focused on the World Cup, for Manchester United fans it will be on who may be the next owners of their club.
The current owners, the Glazer family, announced on Tuesday night that they were ready to seek fresh investment or even accept a bid for the full sale of the Red Devils. The Americans have spent 17 years in charge at Old Trafford but are deeply unpopular among the club's fans.
A frontrunner has already emerged in Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of Britain's richest men, with an asking price also set. Here, Mirror Football looks at everything we know as the Glazers prepare to sell their prized possession.
What the Glazers want
That much is slightly unclear, given the wideness of the 300-word statement United published on Tuesday. In the middle of that was the key message: “The Board will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions.”
So, it could be a sale or even just new investors buying into the Red Devils. If it is a sale though, any prospective buyer will have to pay out the biggest fee ever seen for a football club.
According to City AM, the Glazers have set an asking price in the region of £6bn-£8bn. That price is expected to drop to between £3bn to £5bn, with the club holding more than £500million of debt.
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Why the Glazers are selling
Money is the simple answer.
It has not been a successful decade for the Glazers at Manchester United. The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson has led to a dire downturn on the pitch, with the Red Devils' last Premier League title coming in 2013.
The Glazers do not have the funds to battle perennial champions Manchester City, who can call upon the limitless sovereign fund of Abu Dhabi. The sale of Chelsea for £2.5bn has also convinced the Glazers that the time is right to sell.
Todd Boehly's takeover of the Blues has set the benchmark for other Premier League clubs. And with the Glazers pushing the narrative that United have more than one billion fans, they are convinced they can sell for a price even higher than the one Boehly paid.
Interested parties
Britain's richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is the first name to reportedly launch a bid, with the Daily Telegraph reporting his interest is 'serious'. Ratcliffe first tried to buy the Red Devils in the summer, but pulled out, though he is a boyhood fan of the club.
Club legend David Beckham is also exploring a bid, with the Financial Times reporting he is ready to hold talks with potential buyers to form a consortium. Further interest is likely come from the Middle East, or even former potential buyer Lord Jim O'Neill, who has admitted his interest in being part of a consortium.
"If I thought I could be part of some really value-based, purpose-based, better ownership of United, I would, but it would be very, very difficult," he told the Manchester Evening News when asked if he would resurrect his interest, after failing to succeed with a takeover in 2010.
What the fans want
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) called for any new owner to put the interests of the club first, rather than lining their own pockets like the Glazers.
MUST said: “Whilst supporters have long called for change, of course this has to be the right change. At this moment in time our club needs new investment more than ever. That requires new ownership. Any prospective new owner or investor has to be committed to the culture, ethos and best traditions of the club.
“They have to be willing to invest to restore United to former glories, and that investment must be real new money spent on the playing side and the stadium. Finally, any new ownership structure must embed supporters, including a degree of fan share ownership, in their operating model.
“Manchester United’s fans are its greatest asset and hold the key to unlocking the true value of any football club. That relationship has to be one of equals – sharing in ownership and unified with the same goals.”
