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Ruben Amorim confirms Man Utd will play mid-season friendly, Saudi Arabia likely option

Originally posted on HITC | By Dale O'Donnell | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 8:23 AM ET

Ruben Amorim has addressed the possibility of Manchester United arranging a mid-season friendly.

After a disappointing 2023/24 campaign, the Red Devils have missed out on European competition this term.

The Red Devils were beaten by Tottenham in the Europa League final, losing out on as much as £85 million despite being well-placed to qualify for the Champions League heading into May.

There are also fewer midweek games for United to play, and their Carabao Cup run was ended early with a defeat to Grimsby Town. This has led to discussions within the club about scheduling a friendly in Saudi Arabia during the season.

The topic came up during Friday’s press conference, where Amorim was asked about his thoughts on arranging a friendly later in the campaign.

Ruben Amorim open to mid-season friendly for Man Utd

One of the few positives to come from Manchester United missing out on European competition was the extra time Ruben Amorim would have to work with his players at Carrington.

Even though results have been slow to improve, having just one match a week should help United over the long run. The first six matches of the Premier League season made it clear there’s still plenty of work to do.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Amorim has since confirmed that United will be playing at least one mid-season friendly, which is expected to help bring in additional revenue.

The head coach also spoke in favour of playing more matches abroad, showing he understands the commercial side of modern football.

“We have to do it,” Amorim told reporters. “And you know, we knew that when we missed out on Europe, we have a lot of things to do. We have our fans, we have the budget, we have to compensate for a lot of things. So we have to do it. We will do it.

“We want to be with our fans around the world. If you have to do it, you have to manage to find the space.”

Chance of facing Cristiano Ronaldo in mid-season friendly

With Saudi Arabia being considered as a potential location for a mid-season friendly, Manchester United could end up facing Al-Nassr, which would set up a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo.

This is Al Nassr! This is who we are! pic.twitter.com/uh5e9vRNbv
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) September 26, 2025

Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended on a sour note back in 2022 before he made the move to Riyadh.

Now aged 40, he remains the standout attraction in the Saudi Pro League. Another option being discussed is a Saudi Pro League XI match, which would likely include Ronaldo as well.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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