Croke Park will host Manchester United and Leeds United on Wednesday, August 12th as the two rivals contest the BOYLE Sports Cup 2026, with kick-off set for 7.30pm.
Both clubs have passionate, generations-deep followings across the island of Ireland, giving loyal supporters the chance to watch one of English football's fiercest rivalries renewed on Irish soil this August.
Here's everything you need to know about the BOYLE Sports Cup 2026.
Making History At Croke Park
BOYLE Sports Cup 2026 – Making History at Croke Park
Croke Park, the headquarters of the GAA and Ireland's largest stadium with a capacity of 82,300, will host a club association football match for the very first time when Manchester United and Leeds United meet in the BOYLE Sports Cup 2026.
The iconic venue has previously opened its doors to international football with the most recent international football match played in November 2009, when the Republic of Ireland faced France in the first leg of a World Cup play-off. Last year, Croke Park also made history as it played host to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, the first NFL regular season game ever played in Ireland.
Manchester United's last outing in Ireland came in 2023, in a draw with Athletic Club at the Aviva Stadium. Leeds’ most recent trip across the Irish Sea came in 2025 when they faced Italian giants AC Milan at the Aviva Stadium.
Squad News
Squad News
Manchester United have strengthened their squad with several additions this summer. Andrey Santos arrived from Chelsea as the club's first signing since Michael Carrick's appointment as head coach, followed by goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer after his contract expired at Leeds United, and experienced midfielder Youri Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa. Young winger Tynan Thompson has also joined from Tottenham Hotspur, alongside academy arrival Kit Margetson.
Leeds United have also been active in the transfer market, bringing in centre-back Tarik Muharemović from Sassuolo, winger Harry Wilson from Fulham, forward Joe Gelhardt from Hull City, winger Largie Ramazani from Valencia and Jack Harrison from Fiorentina. They have also added forward Mateo Joseph from Mallorca, along with defenders Maximilian Wöber and Isaac Schmidt from Werder Bremen.
Pre-Season Form Guides
Pre-Season Form Guides
Manchester United opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki, before bouncing back with a 5-0 win over Rosenborg and a 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid in the Snapdragon Cup, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring both goals in the latter. United played out a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg in their last outing before travelling to Dublin.
Leeds United's pre-season also began with defeat to Wrexham, going down 3-2 in Tampa, before back-to-back wins on their US tour: a 1-0 victory over Sunderland in New Jersey courtesy of an early Lukas Nmecha strike, and a 4-2 comeback win against Liverpool at Soldier Field in Chicago, with all four goals coming from substitutes. Leeds hosted RB Leipzig in a 2-0 win for the home side at Elland Road in their final match before making the trip to Dublin.
If you're backing either side in Dublin, you can bet on the BOYLE Sports Cup 2026 with the latest Manchester United vs Leeds United odds at BOYLE Sports.
Head-to-Head
Head-to-Head
It has been almost impossible to separate these sides in recent meetings, with both teams proving their quality whenever they have gone head-to-head. In their last five encounters, each side has recorded one victory, while the other three matches have ended in draws.
Manchester United and Leeds are also familiar pre-season opponents, having met most recently in 2025, when the fixture ended goalless at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm.
With both sides eager to make a statement ahead of the new season, the BOYLE Sports Cup promises to be another intriguing chapter in this long-running rivalry.
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Dylan has forgotten more about the world of sports betting than many will ever know. Seven years in the game will give you that kind of perspective, and he brings that knowledge to the BOYLE Sports Blog. This long-suffering Mayo man has a particular passion for Gaelic football, American football and golf.
