Manchester United have confirmed that they hope to open their new 100,000-seater stadium in time to host matches at the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
The revamped version of Old Trafford, pleasingly dubbed ‘New Trafford,’ was one of 22 venues included in the list of stadiums put forward by Britain’s joint bid for the major tournament this week. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently running unopposed in the race to host what would be the 12th iteration of the competition.
Birmingham City’s proposed new ground—the designs of which received backlash online recently given the prominent towers lining its perimeter—was also part of the venue selection.
“From the early plans, they could be really exciting,” Mark Bullingham, the chief executive of the English Football Association, told reporters. “If they are built, we’d obviously want them included in the tournament, so it would be right, if you look 10 years down the road, to have the best stadia the country has included.”
United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche added: “Our ambition is to build a new 100,000-seater stadium fit to host the biggest international football games. This will be part of a wider regeneration of the area around Old Trafford, with far-reaching benefits for the local community, Greater Manchester and surrounding region.”
In the event that United do not meet this new timeline, “Old Trafford in its current form” will still be viable to host fixtures.
The home grounds of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were also included—but not Liverpool’s Anfield—as well as the national stadium of Wembley.
However, if Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ambitions for his so-called “Wembley of the North” come to fruition, New Trafford would be a bigger venue than the country’s spiritual home of football.
