Manchester United US tour: Wrexham friendly venue and…

Manchester United US tour: Wrexham friendly venue and date confirmed as first details emerge

Manchester United will play Wrexham in a summer friendly as the first details of the club's pre-season tour were confirmed.

United are touring the United States of America for the first time in five years this summer, and details about their pre-season plans are beginning to emerge.

The club confirmed the States as the destination on March 15 and Wrexham are the first confirmed opposition with more to follow. It is the eighth time United have visited the country over the last two decades and here's the latest on what is going on in the summer.

When is it?

United will face Wrexham in San Diego on July 25 but the specific dates of the trip to the US have not yet been announced. The Premier League confirmed in November that the 2023/24 season starts on 12 August, and the tour will take place in July, with United set to return to Manchester in early August to ramp up their preparations for the new season.

Who will they play?

Aside from Wrexham, there are no confirmed opponents at this stage, but several European clubs are set to be Stateside this summer. Arsenal have confirmed they are playing an MLS All-Stars team coached by Wayne Rooney in the summer and will likely play more matches across the pond. Officials at Borussia Dortmund said in December they plan on visiting the US while Inter Milan and Barcelona are other clubs linked with an American trip?

Where will United's matches be?

San Diego is the venue for the match between United and Wrexham. The Daily Star has reported the tour will include a friendly in Las Vegas at the Allegiant Stadium against an unnamed Premier League club while the club are also likely to visit the East Coast. During their last trip in the summer of 2018, United played friendlies in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Santa Clara.

Is it on TV in UK and US?

United's pre-season matches will be live and exclusive on MUTV. Annual passes are available for £29.99 and include an initial seven-day free trial, or £7.99 for an individual month, which will likely cover the whole pre-season programme.

How can I get tickets?

Ticket details for the Wrexham game are now available on pre-sale to fans who have pre-registered and Manchester United Season Ticket Holders, Official Members and Executive Club Members. Tickets go on general sale from 4pm GMT on Wednesday March 29.

What happened last time?

United last visited America in 2018 and played five matches, including three as part of the now-defunct International Champions Cup. Jose Mourinho's side faced Mexican side Club América and Major League Soccer outfit San Jose Earthquakes. Matches against Milan, Liverpool and Real Madrid followed before United ended their pre-season preparations back in Europe against Bayern Munich.

What have United said about the 2023 tour?

United's football director John Murtough said: “This will be our first visit to the US for five years and everyone at the club is looking forward to it, especially the players, who love the high-quality facilities, the welcoming atmosphere and passionate support of our large US fanbase.

"As well as engaging with our fans, Tour 23 will give Erik and his squad the opportunity to reconnect with each other after the summer break and prepare for the restart of the Premier League. We’ve worked with the manager and his staff to create training camps with the best sporting facilities available, as well as a mix of competitive opponents to play, ensuring that the whole squad will have the best opportunity to gain fitness and playing time during their time in the US.

"Tour 2023 will not only see the return of our senior players to training and playing, but there will also be valuable opportunities for up-and-coming talent from our academy to experience life within the first team environment – and for our US fans to see some potential stars of the future. We know that Manchester United and the Premier League in general are growing in popularity across the US, so we are looking forward to building on this connection this summer."