Manchester United to play two friendly matches in Melbourne later this year.

International football powerhouse Manchester United is set to play two matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this July.

Man United will play friendlies with A-League side Melbourne Victory and Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on July 15 and 19, respectively. Tickets will on sale from 2pm (AEDT) on April 4.

“Our matches in Melbourne will be a wonderful opportunity for international fans to see their favourite players up close in an exciting schedule of games,” said Manchester United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche.

Boasting a star-studded roster that includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, United is expected to draw a capacity crowd to the MCG, as it did on its last visit to Australia in 2019.

More than 100,000 fans turned out to watch United between its two matches in Perth, but if recent visits to the MCG by other Premier League clubs are anything to go by, they’ll likely attract more this time around.

Manchester City and Real Madrid drew a crowd of 99,382 when they graced the MCG in 2015, while more than 95,000 turned out to watch Liverpool play Melbourne Victory at the ground two years earlier.

The upcoming matches will be United’s first at the MCG since 1999.

The Victorian Government expects Manchester United’s visit will inject millions of dollars into the local economy.

“Manchester United playing at the MCG will be a major drawcard to attract visitors to Melbourne and encourage locals to head into the city for the games,” said minister for employment Jaala Pulford.

“The tour is set to attract tens of thousands of visitors to the city, supporting jobs across our tourism, events and hospitality sectors.

“This is a great opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest sporting teams play in Melbourne – the nation’s sporting capital.”