Carrick ends Man Utd's 23-year overseas pre-season tradition with European tour

Michael Carrick has ended Manchester United’s practice of travelling to far-flung destinations for pre-season, replacing it with a six-match European tour that begins in Helsinki on 18 July and concludes against AC Milan in Wroclaw on 15 August.

United had staged pre-seasons in locations such as Asia, North America and Australia every year since 2002, but Carrick — who signed a two-year contract in May — has opted for a sharply different approach ahead of his first full campaign in charge. The decision is widely seen as an effort to reduce the travel burden on players as the club prepares to compete in European football next season.

The schedule takes in five countries and six cities. After the opening fixture against Wrexham in Helsinki, United face Rosenborg in Norway on 24 July, then Atletico Madrid at Solna’s Strawberry Arena in Sweden on 1 August. The squad stays in Sweden to meet European champions Paris Saint-Germain on 8 August before crossing to Dublin’s Croke Park to face Leeds on 12 August, with the Milan game rounding things off three days later.

Sporting director Jason Wilcox said the club was excited to close the tour in Poland. “With fixtures now confirmed across five countries and six fantastic cities, these matches will provide strong preparation for the 2026-27 season and a valuable opportunity to connect with our incredible fans across Europe,” he said. “Their support will be vital as we build momentum.”

Overseas pre-season tours have long served as revenue-generating exercises, and a section of United’s support has grown critical of what they perceive as an excessive commercial focus in recent years. By anchoring this summer’s preparations in Europe, Carrick signals a rebalancing of priorities — keeping players fresher and closer to competitive conditions as the new Premier League campaign approaches.