Manchester United reveal $2.6 bln new stadium plans

Manchester United plan to build a new $2.59 billion (AED 9.55 billion) 100,000-seat stadium that will be the biggest in Britain, next to the existing Old Trafford, the club announced on Tuesday.

"Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world's greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford," United's co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said in a statement.

The British billionaire had been open about his desire for a new, state-of-the-art "Wembley of the north" since he became a minority owner in February of last year, and the club have been studying whether to redevelop the existing stadium, which has been the club's home since 1910, or build a new one.

🏟️ The story behind the stadium.

Hear from world-leading architect Lord Norman Foster to learn more about our new home ⬇️#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2025

United appointed Foster + Partners in September to develop a masterplan for the area around Old Trafford as part of a regeneration project.

The club unveiled architectural designs for the new stadium, which will feature an umbrella design, at an event on Tuesday morning in London.

"The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square."

The stadium will be part of a wider regeneration of the Old Trafford area, with British finance minister Rachel Reeves recently giving government backing for the plans.

United say the project could create as many as 92,000 new jobs and will lead to the construction of 17,000 homes, and will be worth an additional 7.3 billion pounds per year to the British economy.

📸 Delivering a stadium befitting of our supporters that will serve the surrounding area.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/7XrOXzjYth

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2025

Old Trafford has not had any major redevelopment since 2006 and criticism of the 74,879-seat stadium, England's biggest club ground, has grown in recent years, with issues around its leaking roof and recent rodent sightings.

Despite Old Trafford's size, the club have fallen behind the likes of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that host extra events and concerts to boost revenue - similar to what will be seen at Everton, who will leave Goodison Park at season's end for their new venue at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Arch-rivals Manchester City moved into the Etihad Stadium in 2003 and are in the process of expanding the capacity to more than 60,000.