
Man United Bigger Than The Club World Cup! US Record Crowd Recorded For Friendly vs West Ham
Manchester United's 2-1 win over West Ham at MetLife Stadium set a new U.S. soccer attendance record with 82,566 fans. Bruno Fernandes scored both goals.
Manchester United's 2–1 victory over West Ham United at MetLife Stadium on Saturday wasn't just a showcase of pre-season Premier League football—it was a historic night for U.S. soccer attendance.
A staggering crowd of 82,566 fans packed the stadium, setting a new record for the largest attendance at a football match in the United States in 2025.
The turnout eclipsed the previous high set earlier this year during the FIFA Club World Cup final, which drew 81,118 spectators.
The match, part of United's U.S. pre-season tour, saw The MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, transform into a sea of red and claret as supporters turned out in full force.
On the field, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes stole the spotlight with a commanding performance, scoring both goals in the victory. The 30-year-old Portuguese midfielder was clinical and composed, reminding fans why he was named United's Player of the Year last season.
The match was competitive throughout, with West Ham pulling one back in the second half, but the result remained in United's favor. The quality of play, combined with the electric crowd atmosphere, created a memorable experience for all in attendance.
Saturday's attendance milestone underscores the surging interest in European football among American audiences. With elite clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich regularly including the U.S. on their pre-season itineraries, fan engagement has soared.
Events like the Club World Cup, which made its U.S. debut this year, and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup—hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—are contributing to a soccer boom in the region. MetLife Stadium, which will host matches during the 2026 World Cup, continues to prove itself as a prime venue for the sport's biggest occasions.
Following the record-breaking night, Manchester United will continue their U.S. tour with upcoming fixtures on the West Coast.
view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
England beat Spain on penalties to win Women's Euro 2025
England thrived in the high drama yet again to take down Spain in a penalty shootout and win another Women's European Championship title on Sunday. England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties to win the Women's Euro 2025(AP) Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give defending champion England a 3-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time. England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved spot kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmati, before substitute Salma Paralluelo dragged her shot wide of goal. The defending champion won the only way it knew how at this thrilling Euro 2025. England fell behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes – just as it did against Italy and Sweden previously in the knockout rounds. England leveled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo's header from a cross by Kelly after Mariona Caldentey had given Spain the lead in the 25th finishing Ona Battle's cross. Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament — and not for one second against England — yet could not seal its first European title. Kelly had scored an extra-time winning goal for England at Wembley three years ago to beat Germany 2-1.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
The Latest: England beats Spain in a penalty shootout after 1-1 draw to retain title
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Defending champion England has won the Women's European Championship after defeating Spain in the final. HT Image The match in Basel was a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final where Spain defeated the Lionesses 1-0. Coincidentally, the same countries played in the men's European Championship final last year. Spain won that match 2-1. Here's the latest: England has defended its European title by defeating Spain in a penalty shootout. The game was tied at 1-1 after extra time. England won the shootout 3-1 with Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty kick. It's 1-1 at full time and the players are coming off the pitch for a quick break. Then it's extra time: two times 15 minutes to break the deadlock. England equalized when Alessia Russo made it 1-1 in the 57th minute. Chloe Kelly whipped one of her trademark crosses into the box from the left and Russo rose above the defense to make it 1-1. Spain heads into the break in the lead after Mariona Caldentey's goal in the 25th. Both teams traded early blows but Spain looked stronger after the goal. La Roja kept most of the possession and did not allow England to threaten much. England also trailed at halftime in the quarterfinal against Sweden and semifinal against Italy, but still won both games. Mariona Caldentey has made it 1-0 for Spain in the 25th minute. Ona Batlle whipped in a cross from the right, after good work by Aitana Bonmati, and Caldentey headed it powerfully home. Swiss former player Lara Dickenmann carried the trophy out onto the field after the closing ceremony of Euro 2025. A large circular banner was unfurled in the center of the field in tribute to the host nation, while smaller banners were displayed nearby with 'Thank You' in Switzerland's four official languages —Italian, French, German, and Romansh. Two large Alpine-inspired shapes were then carried onto the field, with the England flag on one and Spain's on the other. Nearly 30,000 inflatable clappers had been distributed to the fans beforehand, while 40 members of the closing ceremony cast also had them on the field. The Asturia Quartet, an all-female string ensemble, performed the national anthems. In somewhat of a surprise change, Athenea Del Castillo has been named in Spain's starting lineup in place of Claudia Pina. Del Castillo's only other start in the tournament was in the final group-stage match, against Italy, when many regular starters were rested with Spain already through. The Real Madrid forward scored one and set up another. She also scored the opener in the quarterfinal win against Switzerland just four minutes after coming onto the field. Pina was decisive the last time Spain played England, scoring twice to help her team to a 2-1 comeback victory in the Nations League last month. The only other change to Spain's lineup from its semifinal victory over Germany is the return of defender Laia Aleixandri from suspension, with María Méndez dropping back down to the bench. Spain's lineup: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Olga; Bonmatí, Patri, Putellas; Mariona, González, Del Castillo. Lauren James has recovered from injury and starts for England with coach Sarina Wiegman making just one change. James had to come off at halftime in England's semifinal victory over Italy on Tuesday with an ankle problem and was seen applying ice to her injury during the match. James has started all five of England's games at Euro 2025 and has been named in the lineup for the final. Defender Jess Carter returns after being omitted from the starting lineup for the first time against Italy, for tactical reasons, two days after revealing she was the target of racist abuse online during the tournament. England's lineup: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood; Toone, Walsh, Stanway; James, Russo, Hemp. Basel's soccer stadium has a capacity of 34,250 during Euro 2025 and no empty seats are expected at the final. With an hour to go until kickoff, thousands of fans have already taken their seats. Even before the final, the tournament has broken the total attendance record for a Women's European Championship. A total of 623,088 spectators have attended the 30 matches so far, surpassing the previous total attendance record of 574,875 from Euro 2022. There have been intermittent torrential showers and thunderstorms but that has not dampened the spirits of thousands of Spanish and England fans that have been gathering in the fan zones in Basel. The rain teemed down about two hours before kickoff but the sun came out shortly afterward and the skies above St. Jakob-Park have cleared up for now. England got off to a rough start with a 2-1 defeat to France, becoming the first reigning champion to lose its opening match at a women's Euros. The team bounced back with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands and a 6-1 thrashing of Wales. Then came the craziness of its quarterfinal against Sweden when it was trailing 2-0 with 12 minutes to go before equalizing and taking the match to extra time and a penalty shootout. There were nine failed penalty attempts before England finally triumphed 3-2. England left it even later in its semifinal against Italy. Teenager Michelle Agyemang leveled in stoppage time to force extra time and fellow substitute Chloe Kelly scored in the 119th minute to secure a 2-1 win, just as it appeared another penalty shootout was looming. Spain swept through the group stage, winning all three matches against Portugal, Belgium and Italy — scoring 14 goals and conceding three. Spain found it tougher to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinals but finally broke the resistance of the host nation with two quickfire goals midway through the second half. Spain also missed two penalties and hit the woodwork three times. Like England, its semifinal lasted 120 minutes. It took a moment of magic from two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí in the 113th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Germany. ___ AP soccer:


India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Bayern Munich come to an agreement for Liverpool's Luis Diaz: Report
Bayern Munich have reportedly reached an agreement with Liverpool for the transfer of Luis Diaz in a deal worth 75 to The Athletic, the German champions resumed negotiations for the Colombian winger after their earlier offer of 67.5 million was turned down by the Merseyside club. The report adds that Diaz, who is currently in Tokyo with the Liverpool squad for their pre-season tour, has been given permission to travel and complete his move to Munich by had made it clear they would not entertain a deal for Diaz unless their valuation was met. The Premier League side has been active in the transfer window, having already sold Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrell Quansah, Nathaniel Phillips, and Caoimhin Kelleher. Bayern had been in the market for an attacking player and explored several options. Their initial interest in German international Florian Wirtz fell through, with the Bayer Leverkusen star eventually signing for Liverpool. The club also made an attempt to sign Spanish winger Nico Williams, but he opted to extend his stay with Athletic Diaz now heading out and Darwin Nunez potentially following him through the exit door this summer, Liverpool may look to bring in further reinforcements. Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has reportedly told his club that he is open to exploring a move during this transfer have already made additions to their attacking line, including the signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. Earlier in the window, they secured the services of Wirtz and Jeremy Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen to bolster their Reds' pre-season campaign is already underway. They recently played AC Milan in Hong Kong, suffering a 2-4 defeat on Saturday. Diaz did not feature in the game, with head coach Arne Slot confirming that his absence was due to the ongoing transfer talks.'In Lucho's situation, it was (linked to his future), yeah,' Slot said. 'There are a lot of rumours around it lately, and I cannot go into that. He is training really well with us, but we have decided, for now, not to play him yet.'Yes (I've spoken to Diaz about it), but I am used to talking to most of my players on a regular basis. Like I said, Lucho is training really well, but we've decided that he is best not playing at the moment in the games, and I cannot comment much more than that.'- Ends