United revealed their ambitious plans for a new £2BN stadium, which would have a capacity of around 100K. Foster + Partners are the firm behind designing what has been deemed the “Wembley of the North”, with a timeline for completion of 2030 cited.
An ambitious goal
The new stadium is set to be the centre-piece of a regeneration project in Manchester, and now Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has stated that the iconic stadium could host a World Cup final over the next decade.
"It's a major growth project for the whole of the north-west. And the enticing prospect in my mind is if we really get it moving, I think there's a fairly high likelihood that we will be hosting the women's FIFA World Cup in 2035.
"Imagine a final at that new Old Trafford. It would be quite something to aim for, wouldn't it?"
The Women’s World Cup in 2035 will be played across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, for now the design has been paused as they would need additional land around the stadium and although the tournament is 10 years away, construction will not start anytime soon.
Work has not started
A Red Devils spokesperson told The Mirror last month:
"While Manchester United owns a significant portion of land around Old Trafford, it is not all in a single, continuous block. To accommodate the scale of the proposed new stadium – including a canopy – and to avoid disruption to the existing stadium during construction, we are working to secure additional land. We've been engaged in constructive discussions with neighbouring landholders and are optimistic about reaching mutually agreeable terms in the coming months.
"Early design work has been intentionally paused until we have greater clarity on land assembly and fan requirements.”