The Etihad Stadium will be named as a host venue in the British and Irish bid for Euro 2028 ahead of Old Trafford when details are confirmed next week.
Manchester United's iconic stadium, which has the capacity to host 74,300 spectators, is the largest ground in the Premier League and has 21,000 more seats than Manchester City's current home.
But the Etihad, which is set to have his capacity bumped up to 60,000 in the near future, is set to be given the green light ahead of Old Trafford when the bid's official list of 14 stadiums is chopped down to 10 in the coming days.
According to The Times, Old Trafford is in need of an upgrade and Manchester City's ground is seen as a more modern option. And while there are plans to give Old Trafford a refresh after the current takeover saga concludes, the uncertainty over the timescale of such work has also worked against Manchester United, who confirmed that they had "mutually agreed" to withdraw from the process in a statement.
“Manchester United were pleased to put Old Trafford forward as a potential host of Uefa Euro 2028 matches and proud of the strong case we made,” the statement read.
“However, during follow-up discussions with the FA, it became clear that we were unable to provide the necessary certainty around the availability of Old Trafford due to potential redevelopment of the stadium. As a result, we have mutually agreed to withdraw from the shortlist of potential hosts.
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“We are committed to maintaining Old Trafford’s status as the largest and most iconic club football ground in England and look forward to future opportunities to host international matches and major events at ‘the Theatre of Dreams’. Everyone at Manchester United wishes the FA the best of luck with the bid to host the tournament in 2028.”
UEFA will make the final decisions over stadia once a host is established, with the British and Irish bid going up against Turkey. The vote to decide who will host the tournament will be made later this year in October.
As well as the Etihad Stadium, The Tottenham stadium, St James' Park, Villa Park and Everton's proposed new stadium at Bramley Dock will be the other English grounds put forward to host matches if the bid is successful. Casement Park in Belfast, Scotland's Hampden Park, The Principality Stadium in Cardiff and the Dublin's Aviva Stadium will also be included on the list.
West Ham's London Stadium and The Stadium of Light were included along with Old Trafford on the initial 14-strong list and are expected to be included on a reserve list.
