BoyleSports Cup 2026: Man Utd and Leeds to meet at Croke Park

BoyleSports has been named title sponsor of the BoyleSports Cup 2026, a sold-out pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Leeds United at Croke Park in Dublin on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The match will be the first football fixture at the venue since the first leg of Ireland's World Cup playoff against France in 2009, a tie still remembered in Irish football for Thierry Henry's infamous handball assist in the second leg.

Broadcast and branding

The game will be shown live on ITV in the UK and Premier Sports in Ireland, giving the operator significant free-to-air exposure across both territories. BoyleSports branding will feature on official match assets, in-stadium signage and broadcast coverage, and the company said it will deliver fan activations around the match, including competitions, giveaways and stadium activations.

A sell-out crowd is expected, reflecting the large Irish fanbases of both clubs. The naming deal follows a recognised pattern in pre-season football: West Ham United hosted the Betway Cup from 2015 to 2024 while Betway was the club's principal sponsor.

Partnership with Leeds

The sponsorship builds on BoyleSports' recently confirmed multi-year deal as Leeds United's official UK and Ireland betting partner. BoyleSports branding is also set to appear around Elland Road during the upcoming Premier League season, including LED advertising on matchdays.

Liam McKee, Head of Sponsorship at BoyleSports, said the operator is "delighted" to be title sponsor for what promises to be "a brilliant occasion," adding: "This is exactly the kind of moment we want BoyleSports to be part of."

A spokesperson for match promoters TEG said the fixture is one of football's most compelling wherever it is played, and that BoyleSports' football connections across the UK and Ireland made it a natural fit as title sponsor. A Leeds United spokesperson said the club is delighted its new partner will title sponsor the cup, and that facing Manchester United at Croke Park is an exciting part of preparations for the new season.