Manchester United have ditched their money spinning tours abroad this summer with the World Cup chaos meaning they’ll stay in Europe for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.
In a major break from tradition, the Reds have decided against their usual long haul globetrotting to spare stars from clocking up thousands of air miles on the back of a gruelling summer tournament. With the Club World Cup running from June 11 to July 19, the bulk of Ruben Amorim’s squad will be away on international duty, making a jaunt to the United States or Asia simply unworkable.
So instead of criss crossing time zones, United are finalising a schedule that will keep them on the continent with visits to Scandinavia and other European destinations in the works.
It’s a seismic shift for a club that has made pre season tours a cornerstone of their commercial empire. Since 2003, barring the pandemic hit summers of 2020 and 2021, United have always ventured outside Europe. You’ve got to go all the way back to 2002 to find the last time they stayed put when Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw friendlies against the likes of Shelbourne, Ajax and Boca Juniors across Ireland, England and the Netherlands.
For the past decade, America has been the favoured stomping ground. The Stateside tours have helped United’s commercial operation explode, with US based sponsors lapping up the chance to see the famous red shirts on home soil. The relationship with California tech giants Qualcomm whose Snapdragon badge adorns the shirts has only deepened that bond, with friendlies hosted at the Snapdragon Arena in recent years.
Before America, it was Asia that got the full United treatment. The Park Ji Sung effect was so powerful in South Korea at one stage it was claimed 1.2million locals had Man Utd branded credit cards. South Africa, Scandinavia, the Reds were pioneers, always one step ahead when it came to selling the brand.
And let’s be honest, they’ve taken plenty of stick for it over the years. Accusations of putting profit before preparation have followed United around like a bad smell.
But this summer? They’ve actually got it right.
With the World Cup set to run deep into July, flying players back and forth across the Atlantic made zero sense. Instead, the club are prioritising recovery and preparation over marketing even if it means disappointing fans in Asia and the States who’ve grown used to seeing them roll into town.
Talks are ongoing to finalise the fixture list, with Scandinavia looking likely to feature heavily. Historically, the first week of July is when the squad report back to Carrington for the start of pre season training though that could shift given the number of players still away at the tournament.
United have copped flak for years for being too commercially focused. But on this one, they’ve earned the right to say they’re doing the right thing by the players.
