Sam Smith was in song for Wrexham’s winner six minutes before half-time as the Championship club beat Premier League rivals Manchester United in a friendly at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium.
Shortly after hitting the crossbar after Mason Mount’s pass, striker Smith scored an unmarked goal as Phil Parkinson’s side pulled United out from a throw-in.
United coach Michael Carrick chose A Strong starting side Including Lenny Euro, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, new signing Andre Santos, Brian Mbeumo, Patrick Durgu, Joshua Zirkzee and captain Harry Maguire.
Carrick made 11 changes in the first half, as United controlled possession throughout but struggled to create meaningful chances.
Only a smart save from Radek Vitek with his leg prevented United from falling further behind shortly after the restart, much to the frustration of Davis Keillor-Dunne after the game. Wrexham The newcomer is obvious.
Manchester United vs Wrexham: Andre Santos ‘on the ball’
Former United defender Wes Brown noted that Zirkzee “looked like he was running away” from a “little knock” towards the end of the first half.
“(Santos) got the ball,” Brown told MUTV of the midfielder’s £48m move from Chelsea. “He looks fit and ready.
“In another couple of weeks, I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of him. But it was good to see him in the starting lineup.”
Usually a centre-back, Euro has taken up a new position at right-back. “He’s not a right-back… but he looked very sharp,” Brown said.
“He moves on the field, he’s very athletic. He can definitely play out there. This will be an option if Michael needs him.”
Manchester United vs Wrexham
Manchester United starting lineup: Tom Heaton, Lenny Euro, Harry Maguire, Aiden Heaven, Luke Shaw, Brian Mbeumo, Mason Mount, Jack Fletcher, Andre Santos, Patrick Durgu, Joshua Zirkese.
Manchester United lineup in the second half: Radek Vitek, Ethan Wheatley, Tyler Fletcher, Harry Abmas, Toby Collier, Danielle Gore, Shea Lacey, Ethan Williams, Jaydan Camasson, Jacob Devaney, Danielle Armer.
Man United substitutes: Chido Obi, Dermot Mee, Jim Thwaites,
Wrexham vs Man United
Wrexham starting lineup: Arthur Okonkwo, Aaron James, Dan Scarr, Callum Doyle, Zak Fenner, Nathan Brodhead, Lewis O’Brien, George Thomason, Alexander James Moore, Billy Cadamartiri, Sam Smith
Wrexham Alternatives: Lewis Brunt, Dominic Hyam, Conor Coady, Davis Keilor-Dane, George Dobson, Kiefer Moore, Oliver Rathbone, Danny Ward, Ryan Barnett, Harry Ashfield, Rio Owen, Tommy Clayton, Oliver McTeod, Joe Rees, David Edwards
Manchester United and Wrexham match statistics
- Manchester United are unbeaten in all five competitive meetings with Wrexham, winning every match
- The Red Devils last faced Wrexham in January 1995, winning 5-2 in the FA Cup fourth round.
- Carrick led Manchester United to third place in the English Premier League last season, ensuring qualification for the Champions League
- Wrexham finished seventh in the championship last season, missing the playoffs by two points
- Wrexham opened the pre-season with a 0-0 draw against Wisła Kraków
Manchester United pre-season matches 2026/27
Following their trip to Helsinki, United head to Norway, Sweden and Ireland for matches during July and August.
Here is the full list.
| date | Opponents | place | Start time is GMT | at | Pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 18 July | Wrexham | Olympic Stadium (Helsinki, Finland) | 16:00 | 11:00 | 08:00 |
| Friday 24 July | Rosenburg | Lerkendal Stadium (Trondheim, Norway) | 17:00 | 12:00 | 09:00 |
| Saturday 1 August | Atletico Madrid | Strawberry Arena (Stockholm, Sweden) | 14:00 | 09:00 | 06:00 |
| Saturday 8 August | Paris Saint-Germain | New Olive (Gothenburg, Sweden) | 16:00 | 11:00 | 08:00 |
| Wednesday 12 August | Leeds United | Croke Park (Dublin, Ireland) | 19:30 | 14:30 | 11:30 |
Why did Manchester United choose their opponents in the pre-season round?
United have large fan bases in Scandinavia and Dublin, making the tours commercially significant and an opportunity for fans in those regions to see the team.
They played at Solna’s Strawberry Arena, where they will face Atleti this summer, drawing 0-0 with Leeds in 2025.
There could be a large crowd for the match at Croke Park, which is the fourth largest stadium in Europe after Barcelona’s Camp Nou, Wembley and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, with a capacity of 82,000.
The last football match at Croke Park was in November 2009, when former Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal as France started a successful World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland by winning the first leg.
Director of football Jason Wilcox suggested that United had “the best fans in the world” and would be able to “connect” with them as they rigorously tested their squad against strong teams.
Manchester United’s pre-season opponents: Wrexham, Atletico, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds
Wrexham’s run of three straight promotions came to an end in 2025/26, but the club – whose profile and financial strength were transformed by the investment of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – impressed in the Championship, finishing just outside the play-off places.
A very inexperienced United side lost 3-1 to Wrexham in a friendly match at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego in July 2023.
Rosenborg are the most successful team in Norwegian football but have not won their domestic title since 2018 and have not appeared in European competition since 2019, when they were part of the Europa League group stage.
United visited Rosenborg Lerkendaal in July 2024, losing 1-0 under Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
Eleven-time Spanish champions and three-time Europa League winners Atleti beat United in a friendly in Oslo in July 2022 and knocked them out of the 2021/22 Champions League, winning 2-1 on aggregate thanks to a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
Diego Simeone’s side did not mount a title challenge in the 2025/26 La Liga but did reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, beating Brugge and Tottenham during the knockout stage before being eliminated by Arsenal.
Paris Saint-Germain and United have taken markedly different paths since the French giants crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 at Old Trafford in 2019, losing on the now-defunct away goals rule via Marcus Rashford’s 94th-minute goal for the hosts.
The match takes place at the Ulivi Stadium, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic taking four minutes to score his first goal for United after the striker’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, helping his new club beat Galatasaray 5-2 in a match that also featured a brace from the Red Devils’ all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney.
Manchester United pre-season friendlies: how to buy tickets
Ticket details are available at United matches page.
When does Manchester United’s 2026/27 season start?
United visit Hull City in the opening match on Saturday 22 August at 12:30 GMT.
