Manchester United’s proposed 100,000-seater stadium has been suggested as a potential venue for the 2040 Olympic Games.
United have earmarked 2035 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Old Trafford 2.0, whose designs – complete with three imposing towers and a sweeping stadium canopy – were unveiled in March 2025.
There are umpteen obstacles to clear before the Red Devils have shovels in the ground, however. Finance, local politics, debt restructuring, land purchases and procurement are just a few of the myriad considerations.
The mood is positive at the club, though, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos and the Glazers will not need to underwrite a financial shortfall next season thanks to Michael Carrick’s management in 2026.
United now plan for the new stadium to be ready for 2035 – What do you think about this?
Regular Champions League football and the riches it unlocks would certainly make a stadium project likely to cost at least £2bn more viable, but a truly economic stadium will need to make as much money from concerts and other sports events as it does from matchdays.
The prospect of playing a part in the 2040 Olympics, therefore, could be attractive.
The government announced last week that it is assessing the feasibility of an Olympic Games in the North alongside a major stadium regeneration push. In a statement alongside the Government’s press release, Premier League CEO Richard Masters said: “The stadium investment pipeline across the Premier League now amounts to an estimated £5 billion.”
If United’s lofty stadium ambitions materialise in bricks and mortar, they will by far the biggest single contributor to that £5bn figure.
And while they would not receive a fee for staging events at the Games, agreeing to be a host venue could grease the wheels politically as United lobby for Government funding for the infrastructure around the stadium. What’s more, it would be a magnet for sponsors and corporate clients.
Speaking exclusively to United in Focus, the football finance expert Kieran Maguire said: “It could be a consideration. Broadly, trying to make the stadium multi-sport and multi-function makes financial sense.
“United will take inspiration from Spurs and what they have achieved with their stadium. Against that, you would have the extensive costs in hosting a one-off event in the Olympics.
“There were problems in 2012. The London Stadium has become a white elephant and costs the taxpayer a lot of money. Would Man United make a return if they had an indoor stadium there as well, for basketball or hockey? There would certainly be a lot of hurdles to jump. Manchester did host football events in 2012 though, so I am sure there would at least be scope to do that.”
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