Manchester United enter 2025-26 outside the Champions League following their 2024-25 league finish. The club competes in the Europa League under Rúben Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November 2024. Old Trafford remains under partial Sir Jim Ratcliffe ownership through INEOS Sport, with the Glazer family retaining a controlling stake.
United matches sit prominently on Sky Sports’ broadcast slate, particularly the Saturday 5:30pm slot and Sunday 2pm slot. TNT Sports picks United for selected Champions League and Europa League nights, plus their slate of Premier League fixtures.
Where Manchester United matches air
Premier League matches split across Sky Sports (around 28-32 United fixtures per season) and TNT Sports (4-6 United matches per season). The Manchester derby against City regularly takes Sky’s Sunday 4:30pm slot.
Europa League matches air on TNT Sports linear and Discovery+. United play eight league-phase matches plus knockout rounds depending on draw progression.
FA Cup matches split between BBC and ITV. EFL Cup ties air on Sky Sports.
United’s 2025-26 squad
Bruno Fernandes captains the side from central midfield. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Højlund rotate the forward positions. Mason Mount provides creative midfield depth.
Defensively, Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt anchor the centre-back partnership. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw hold the full-back positions. André Onana continues in goal.
Casemiro and the new Manuel Ugarte signing provide the defensive midfield rotation. Kobbie Mainoo’s promotion through the academy provides midfield depth.
Historic context
Twenty English league titles (record), twelve FA Cups, three European Cups. The Sir Alex Ferguson era (1986-2013) brought the club thirteen Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. The post-Ferguson era has yielded one Premier League title and three FA Cups across multiple managerial changes.
Old Trafford holds 74,310 since the 2006 expansion. The Glazer family has held controlling ownership since 2005, with Ratcliffe’s INEOS group buying a 27.7% stake in February 2024.
Frequently asked questions
How many Manchester United matches air on Sky Sports per season? Approximately 28-32 Premier League matches plus EFL Cup ties. Sky’s pick order favours United for Sunday and Saturday afternoon slots.
Where do United’s Europa League matches air? TNT Sports linear channels and Discovery+ Premium streaming. All United Europa League matches air on TNT Sports in the UK.
Are Manchester derby matches always on Sky? Most are. The United-City derby tends to land on Sky’s Sunday 4:30pm Super Sunday slot, though TNT takes the fixture occasionally for their Saturday slate.
Can I watch Manchester United free-to-air? Selected FA Cup ties on BBC and ITV from the third round. International matches featuring United players (Bruno Fernandes for Portugal, Diogo Dalot for Portugal, Bruno Fernandes’ international slate) on free-to-air channels during international windows.
For broader Premier League coverage, see the Premier League guide. United’s European campaign sits within the Europa League guide.