Manchester United has 13 players scattered across the 2026 FIFA World Cup rosters, but through the first four games of the tournament, none of them have even touched the pitch. That changes Saturday, when Brazil meets Morocco at New York New Jersey Stadium — a match that could pit United’s Noussair Mazraoui against Matheus Cunha, with Casemiro likely to feature in his final appearance for the club before his expected exit.
Later that day, Tyler Fletcher might make his World Cup debut when Scotland faces Haiti in Group C. Altay Bayindir is also in the mix with Turkey, and could see action Sunday against Australia. Amad, Senne Lammens, and Manuel Ugarte are all expected to feature next week, followed by Lisandro Martinez and Argentina as they open their title defense. United captain Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo, and Marcus Rashford are also slated to play next Wednesday.
A History of Clubmates Becoming Opponents
This is nothing new for United. The club’s website tracked six instances of Red Devils teammates facing off at World Cups before 2018 — and the list has only grown since then.
The first recorded clash came in 1986, when Jesper Olsen and Gordon Strachan played on opposite sides in Denmark’s 1-0 win over Scotland. John Sivebaek, also a United player at the time, subbed in for Denmark just after Strachan had been pulled. That game carried extra weight because legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on the Scotland sideline, having taken over after Jock Stein’s death.
It took 16 years for the next showdown: in 2002, Juan Sebastian Veron’s Argentina faced an England squad featuring David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt. Four years later, a young Cristiano Ronaldo squared off against Edwin van der Sar in a heated Portugal-Netherlands match. That same tournament, Ronaldo faced Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Gary Neville in the semifinals — a game remembered for Ronaldo’s wink after Rooney’s red card. He then met United teammate Louis Saha in the final against France.
Recent Editions Piled On the Drama
In 2014, Chicharito Hernandez briefly matched up against Robin van Persie during Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Mexico. The 2018 World Cup turned into a United reunion tour: Marouane Fellaini vs. Phil Jones and Marcus Rashford in Belgium’s group-stage win over England; Paul Pogba vs. Marcos Rojo when France knocked out Argentina in the round of 16; Victor Lindelof vs. Jesse Lingard, Ashley Young, and Rashford in Sweden’s loss to England; and Pogba vs. Fellaini and Romelu Lukaku in the semifinals. Pogba became the first United player to score in a World Cup final, and Lukaku faced Jones, Lingard, and Rashford in the third-place match.
The 2022 Qatar edition kept the trend alive: Hannibal Mejbri vs. Christian Eriksen in Tunisia’s 0-0 draw with Denmark; Eriksen vs. Raphael Varane in France’s 2-1 win over Denmark; Bruno Fernandes scoring twice against Uruguay and teammate Facundo Pellistri; Varane vs. Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Rashford in France’s quarterfinal win over England; and Varane watching from the bench as Argentina — and United’s Lisandro Martinez — won the final on penalties.
What to Watch in 2026
The knockout rounds this year could produce even more head-to-head matchups among United teammates. Fans will also get a look at potential summer transfer targets, including incoming midfielder Ederson. With so much at stake and so many Red Devils scattered across the bracket, this World Cup might produce the strangest family feud yet.
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