Manchester United beat Leeds United on penalties in Dublin friendly

Manchester United defeated Leeds United 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly at Croke Park in Dublin. The match, held before a sold-out crowd of approximately 82,000, marked a historic return of club football to the Gaelic Athletic Association's iconic stadium.

Joshua Zirkzee opened the scoring for United in the 16th minute after being played through by Bryan Mbeumo. Leeds responded in the 29th minute when Brenden Aaronson converted a chance created by Daniel James. The match saw significant disruption when several young supporters ran onto the pitch seeking selfies with players, including Bruno Fernandes, forcing the referee to halt play and eventually end the 90 minutes without stoppage time.

In the ensuing penalty shootout, Bruno Fernandes missed his attempt, but Noussair Mazraoui scored the decisive final penalty to secure the Boyle Sports Cup for Manchester United. The game served as a key warm-up for both clubs ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.