Every year in the festive season, The Athletic attempts to tell the story of the world’s most written-about football club succinctly.
Manchester United are too big and strange to be adequately explained in around 1,000 words but we have had a crack. There are many events we had to omit for brevity, so please feel free to sound off in the comments.
Will 2026 bring calmer waters?
Best moment
We’ll leave discussion of Lyon for a later section and talk about another late winner from Harry Maguire. Ruben Amorim’s men were unbeaten at Anfield in 2025. A 2-2 draw in early January sparked a fire in Bruno Fernandes that has made him a viable option in central midfield.
But it was the 2-1 win in mid-October that marked a turning point for this team. Amorim appeared to have outwitted Arne Slot by starting with a strikerless system that focused on winning second balls, but a 78th-minute equaliser from Cody Gakpo risked letting the air out of the balloon.
Then rose Maguire in the 84th minute with a thumping header for United’s first win at Anfield since the days of Louis van Gaal. The victory has proved vital for the 2025-26 season.
Harry Maguire with a MASSIVE header to send the away end wild! 😱 pic.twitter.com/moUtr2aDsj
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2025
Worst moment
United were beaten by Tottenham in a cup final this year. Spurs mustered only one shot on target (sort of) and managed to win in 90 minutes.
Fans travelled from all over the world to Bilbao to be served up… that. A season billed as “Bilbao or Bust” ended in insipid fashion.
Best game
Manchester United 5-4 Lyon (after extra time).
Those who watched this on UK broadcast via TNT Sport will remember Robbie Savage shouting: “Go and get the winner” shortly after Kobbie Mainoo’s equaliser.
It felt ridiculous. United had nearly thrown it away, only for an academy graduate to salvage things… and yet someone out there credibly believed there was supposed to be space for one more goal?
And then it happened. Maguire’s glorious forehead meeting Casemiro’s cross in the 121st minute to send Old Trafford to cloud nine. “I told you! I told you!” was Savage’s response while Maguire sped away to do one of his trademark knee slide celebrations.
United are not the force they used to be, but they still find the magic two to three times a year. Old Trafford still sparkles, the Stretford End starts bouncing and then — somehow — this team finds a way to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. This victory made for one of the great European nights in the club’s modern history.
Best player
One day, we’ll answer with something other than Bruno Fernandes.
“I hope next year I am not even involved in the name,” said Fernandes to Joshua Zirkzee before winning his fourth Player of the Year award from United.
“Because that will mean you (Zirkzee) step up, Amad will step up, (Alejandro) Garnacho will step up, Rasmus (Hojlund) will step up… if they start scoring goals, start doing assists, start running backwards and tackling, they will be the ones having attention and not me, and I will be the most happy person in the world.”
Fernandes continues to set the standard at United (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The day will come when United will be without Fernandes. The team’s most recent win over Newcastle United gave evidence that Amorim and his coaching staff are improving at finding ways to win without relying on the playmaker’s prolific output.
The stat that sums up 2025
Here are some United player rankings for the year, taken after the 1-0 win over Newcastle.
| Player Name | Minutes Played in 2025 (All Comps) |
|---|---|
|
Bruno Fernandes |
4236 |
|
Diogo Dalot |
3211 |
|
Noussair Mazraoui |
2813 |
|
Leny Yoro |
2757 |
|
Matthijs de Ligt |
2699 |
| Player | Goals Scored (All Comps) |
|---|---|
|
Bruno Fernandes |
18 |
|
Amad |
8 |
|
Bryan Mbeumo |
7 |
|
Casemiro |
6 |
|
Mason Mount |
6 |
But a fun number to remember this year by is this: 324.
Which is how many times we replied “NO!” to a Talk of the Devils listener asking, “Do you think Lisandro Martinez can play in midfield?”, only for him to play there for the second half against Aston Villa on December 21.
It took an injury to almost-never-injured Fernandes to do it.
Favourite quote
“He has not had the best of seasons,” said Sir Jim Ratcliffe in an interview on The Times’ The Business podcast on October 8. “Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be.”
And just like that, the ceaseless chatter around Amorim’s future died down. External voices may still raise an eyebrow after a disappointing performance, but the club are less likely to provoke the sort of mini-inquests that had dogged them. Amorim is staying in the dugout for the foreseeable future, as there is little appetite from those above him to start again.
Has Ruben Amorim started to change the narrative at United? (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Quite the turnaround, considering only 11 months ago, the head coach told journalists, “We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.”
Which of your club’s players will do best at the World Cup?
United’s Portuguese contingent will go as far as Cristiano Ronaldo’s off-ball runs can manage.
Group K, containing Uzbekistan, Colombia and a still-to-be-confirmed qualifier, should provide ample runway for Fernandes and Diogo Dalot to go deep. If Portugal top their group, there’s a strong possibility they could face Argentina in the quarter-final. Lovely.
Player to watch in 2026
Patrick Dorgu made his United debut on February 7, and has been slowly acclimatising. Signed to be a wing-back, the 21-year-old will be one of several players benefiting from Amorim exploring more tactical options with a 4-3-3.
His goal against Newcastle on Boxing Day was delightful, as was a playful push Casemiro gave him in the back after tackling Anthony Gordon.
“What a FABULOUS HIT!”
Patrick Dorgu scores his first goal for Manchester United and what a way to score it! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/0Th4FRYd1c
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 26, 2025
And for U.S. readers:
PATRICK DORGU STRIKES WITH A SENSATIONAL HIT. 💥 pic.twitter.com/QQIToewKFs
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2025
Dorgu’s game isn’t subtle, but his energy and eye for a looping cross towards the back post have potential.
A wish for 2026
Old Trafford becoming a fortress again.
This season has seen the Stretford End transformed into a sea of flags and fan colour thanks to the hard work from The Red Army. A matchday at Old Trafford can be a visceral experience full of sounds, sights and smells.
As football is increasingly sold off to the highest bidder, it’s more important than ever to hold onto the small joys of the game. Give an ironic jeer to the opposition goalkeeper when they shank a goal kick. Punch the air and shout “get in” after a defensive block. And let yourself get so swept away when United score that you find yourself hugging a stranger… football is to be enjoyed, or meant to be.
There were too many low points in 2025 for United fans. If Old Trafford can be bouncing in 2026, who knows what might happen next?