Manchester United have announced that they will build a new 100,000-seater stadium, which will be the biggest in the country. Wembley Stadium which has a capacity of 90,000, but United's new ground is set to overtake it when it is built in the next few years. The new stadium will be next to the existing Old Trafford site, which will be demolished when the facility is completed.
The announcement comes at a time when United are struggling on and off the pitch. Ruben Amorim's side are languishing in the bottom half of the table and since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS acquired a minority stake in the club last year, there have been a number of redundancies and widespread cost-cutting in an attempt to reduce the debt worth up to £1 billion accumulated by the Glazer family.
Manchester United's new stadium plans Related
Manchester United to build 'iconic' £2bn 100,000-capacity stadium
Manchester United have announced plans to build the biggest stadium in the UK - an "iconic" new £2bn 100,000-seater stadium closely situated to Old Trafford.
How Man Utd's New Stadium Will Look
Manchester United's new stadium plans
Credit: Foster + Partners/Manchester United
The new stadium will be designed by Foster + Partners, who worked on the new Wembley Stadium and the Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. United's new ground will be built on the land adjacent to Old Trafford and feature a number of modern architectural aspects to make it a best-in-class facility. Lord Norman Foster, who is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, said:
“This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance. It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar.
"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 outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport, and endowed by nature. It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of.”
A notable feature of the design is the three masts, which all measure 200 metres high. These have been described as 'the trident' and will make the stadium visible from 40km away, including from the Peak District. Other features include a sustainable umbrella design covering the ground, along with a huge public plaza. In an interview with United, Foster said that the design inside the ground will bring the fans "close to the pitch".
When Man Utd's New Stadium Will be Completed
Manchester United's new stadium plans
Credit: Foster + Partners/Manchester United
In an interview with United, Foster said that the stadium would take five years to build, meaning it should be ready at some point in the early 2030s. He noted that building a new stadium like the one outlined would typically take around 10 years, but this timeframe will be halved for this project. Foster outlined why:
"Normally, a stadium would take 10 years to build. We halved that time, five years. How do we do that? By prefabrication, by using the network of Manchester Ship Canal, bringing it back to a new life, shipping in components, 160 of them, Meccano-like. And then we rebuild the Old Trafford station and that becomes the pivot, the processional way to the stadium, welcoming and at the heart of a new sports-led neighbourhood."
When it is completed, it is estimated that the new stadium, which is part of a wider regeneration project in south Manchester, will create 92,000 jobs, 17,000 new homes and bring in an extra 1.8 million visitors every year.
What Capacity Man Utd's New Stadium Will Have
Manchester United's new stadium plans
Credit: Foster + Partners/Manchester United
The proposed capacity of the new venue is 100,000. This would make it the largest stadium in the United Kingdom, ahead of Wembley Stadium. Old Trafford's current capacity is 74,140, but there have been no significant developments to the ground since 2006, with a number of infrastructural issues such as a leaking roof highlighting the need for a new stadium. Ratcliffe said:
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home."
How Much Man Utd's New Stadium Will Cost
Jim Ratcliffe
It is estimated that the new stadium will cost £2 billion. While Ratcliffe acknowledged that the club can pay for the stadium, he noted that the ground has to be part of the government's regeneration project for south Manchester. Speaking to Gary Neville on the Overlap podcast, Ratcliffe said:
“The only basis upon which we can build a new one is if it is part of this government regeneration scheme for south Manchester, because we can’t afford to regenerate southern Manchester, that’s too big a bill for the club,”
"We can build a stadium. We don’t need any government funding for that stadium, but it has to be the underpin for the regeneration.”
In March 2024, an Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force was appointed to look at whether to build a new stadium or redevelop Old Trafford. Redeveloping the existing facility was estimated to cost the club around £1.5 billion, but after a year of meetings, led by the task force chair, Lord Sebastian Coe, it has been recommended that a new facility worth £2 billion be built. The new stadium will help to create thousands of new jobs and homes in the Trafford Wharfside area, and also deliver a modern venue befitting of United's stature as one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe Related
Man Utd to Build New 100,000-Seater Stadium as Plans Revealed
Manchester United have revealed plans to move into a new stadium which is due to be built a stone's throw away from Old Trafford
Information gathered from Manchester United - correct as of 11/03/25.