Manchester United - Atlético Madrid live - Football

Manchester United take on Atlético Madrid on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at 14:00 BST at Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, in a pre-season friendly. United arrive on the back of a commanding 5-0 win over Rosenborg, while Atlético endured a difficult end to their La Liga campaign. In five previous meetings between these clubs, Manchester United have never recorded a single win against the Spanish side.

Match Info: Manchester United vs Atlético Madrid

The pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Atlético Madrid kicks off at 14:00 BST (15:00 CET) on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden - the second time Atlético have appeared at this venue following their 2019 pre-season win over Juventus.

Where to Watch Manchester United vs Atlético Madrid?

For fans in England, MUTV is the dedicated television channel broadcasting the clash between Manchester United and Atlético Madrid. It is the go-to destination for United supporters at home, offering full match coverage and pre-match programming.

Globally, fans can stream the match through MUTV Online, which is available to subscribers worldwide and provides the same coverage as the television channel. This is the primary option for the majority of international supporters who do not have access to a local broadcast partner.

Viewers across the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions have several options: Australia can watch via Stan Sport, India through FanCode, Indonesia via beIN Sports Connect Indonesia, New Zealand through beIN Sports Connect NZ, and Thailand via AIS Play. In Scandinavia and Northern Europe, Norway has VG+ and Sweden has Sport Bladet Play. Spanish fans can choose between television on Movistar Liga de Campeones or Movistar Plus+, or stream online through Movistar+.

Match between Manchester United and Atlético Madrid - Preview

This pre-season friendly brings together two of European football's most recognisable clubs at Strawberry Arena in Stockholm - a fixture that carries competitive echoes even in a summer context, given Atlético's dominance in every previous encounter.

Manchester United, under the management of Michael Carrick, are using this Scandinavian tour to sharpen their squad ahead of a demanding season that includes both the Premier League and the Champions League. After a disappointing opening defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki, United bounced back emphatically with a 5-0 thrashing of Rosenborg in Trondheim - a result that will have lifted spirits considerably in the camp. The clash with Atlético is the third fixture on the tour and the most prestigious test yet.

Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid arrive in Stockholm after a turbulent end to the 2025/26 La Liga season, having lost three of their final five matches including a heavy 1-5 defeat to Villarreal on the last day. The Colchoneros will be eager to use this summer period to rebuild cohesion and regain the defensive solidity that has defined their best seasons under Simeone.

Head-to-Head: Manchester United vs Atlético Madrid

The head-to-head record between these two clubs tells a story of Atlético's near-complete dominance: across all five meetings, Manchester United have not won once, drawing 2 and losing 3 - a statistic that Simeone's side will be keen to extend, and that Carrick's United have strong motivation to finally break.

Here is a summary of the previous matches between Manchester United and Atlético Madrid:

• 30 Jul 2022 - Friendly - Atlético Madrid 1:0 Manchester United
• 15 Mar 2022 - UEFA Champions League - Manchester United 0:1 Atlético Madrid
• 23 Feb 2022 - UEFA Champions League - Atlético Madrid 1:1 Manchester United

Manchester United - Recent Form

Manchester United finished the Premier League season strongly and carried that momentum into pre-season, winning 5-0 against Rosenborg after an opening loss to Wrexham - 3 wins from their last 5 matches across all competitions.

In the closing weeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season, United showed genuine quality. A goalless draw at Sunderland was followed by an impressive 3-0 away win at Brighton and an entertaining 3-2 home victory over Nottingham Forest - back-to-back wins to close out the campaign in positive fashion.

The pre-season began with a stumble, as United lost 0-1 to Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July. However, the team responded powerfully six days later in Trondheim, where they dismantled Rosenborg 5-0 with a performance full of attacking intent. The meeting with Atlético in Stockholm is the next opportunity to demonstrate that the opening friendly result was merely a blip in an otherwise encouraging preparation.

Atlético Madrid - Recent Form

Atlético Madrid concluded the 2025/26 La Liga season in poor form, winning just 2 of their final 5 matches and suffering three defeats - including a 1-5 home thrashing by Villarreal on the final day.

The final weeks of the season were a struggle for Simeone's side. An exit from the Champions League came via a 0-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on 5 May. Back in La Liga, a home loss to Celta Vigo (0-1) on 9 May compounded the misery, before away wins at Osasuna (2-1) on 12 May and a 1-0 home win over Girona on 17 May provided brief relief. The season then ended on a low note with the heavy 1-5 defeat at Villarreal.

With three losses in their last five matches and a concerning defensive record in the final weeks of the campaign, this pre-season tour - and the Stockholm friendly in particular - represents an important early opportunity for Atlético to reset and find their rhythm before the new La Liga season begins.

Facts and Statistics

Manchester United and Atlético Madrid are two of the most decorated clubs in the history of European club football, each with a rich tradition of competing at the highest level. Despite relatively few direct encounters, their meetings have been played in decisive circumstances - from European cup knockout rounds to Champions League eliminations - and have consistently produced tightly contested, low-scoring affairs.

• Manchester United have never beaten Atlético Madrid in any of their five meetings: the all-time record stands at 0 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats for the English side.
• The clubs first met in October 1991 in the Cup Winners' Cup, when Atlético won 3-0 at the Estadio Vicente Calderón - Paulo Futre scored twice and Manolo added a third.
• The return leg at Old Trafford ended 1-1, with Mark Hughes scoring for United and Bernd Schuster equalising for Atlético - eliminating United on aggregate.
• In the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League round of 16, Atlético again eliminated United: a 1-1 draw in Madrid (Joao Felix and Anthony Elanga) was followed by a 1-0 Atlético win at Old Trafford (Renan Lodi).
• Strawberry Arena in Stockholm is a familiar venue for Atlético Madrid: they played and won there in August 2019, defeating Juventus 2-1 in a pre-season friendly.