Why World Sevens is now a key part of Manchester United's calendar
Skinner confident United will "come back" as squad continues to thrive in relaxed environment
Chaos, laughter, goals, and iconic walk outs, four things guaranteed at World Sevens and this year’s edition in London was no different.
Manchester United entered this year’s tournament as “OG’s”, as manager Marc Skinner referred to them, after they finished as runners up in the first edition of the tournament in Estoril last year. United earned $1million (£743,000) for losing the 2025 World Sevens final, but this year’s prize money was cut to $250,000 for the runners up.
On the pitch, United cruised through to the final, scoring 22 goals in the opening four games on route to the final. A 5-2 win over Everton set up a final with Chelsea, the fifth meeting between the sides in the 2025-26 season. A new format but the same final outcome, as Chelsea won the game 6-5, coming from 4-1 down to claim the tournament win and $500,000 prize.
Despite coming second gain, there’s something about the World Sevens that brings the best out of Manchester United. The vibe of the tournament suits this team on and off the pitch. Even Skinner got involved in the walk-ons last week, recreating Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance with his squad ahead of the final.
While sections of the fanbase are undoubtedly still skeptical about Skinner being the right manager for United, relaxed and funny moments like we saw at World Sevens help bridge the gap, showing the squad’s human side.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Skinner was asked if he’d like United to feature in World Sevens every year, “yeah for sure”, he said. “It keeps evolving, I love the music, I love to feel the vibe, so that’s why we definitely will come back.”
Striker Elisabeth Terland also shared how much the squad were enjoying the experience: “We’re just having a great time together, it’s lots of fun. The more goals we can score the more fun it is, mainly for the celebrations”.
Staff, players and fans have all embraced World Sevens, but why does this tournament appeal so much to United and also bring the best out of the team?
Players thriving
An issue United had throughout the 2025-26 season was decision making in-front of goal, with many opportunities in the final third ultimately coming to nothing. This was not the case during World Sevens.
Three of United’s forwards made it into the tournament’s top five players for goal involvements. Jess Park with 9, Terland 7 and Malard 6. United’s attacking play was electric, with finishes seemingly effortless. The confidence was flowing through all the players, with United scoring the most goals out of any team in the tournament.
Eleven-a-side football and seven a side are very different, so its no surprises that United enjoyed the freedom and confidence that came with this tournament. There wasn’t the usual pressure, players had the freedom to make runs and movements off the ball that we hadn’t seen throughout the latter part of the season. The quick transitional nature of how the games played out suited United’s attackers, with less time to think on the ball and more instinctive finishes.
Terland reflected on this during the tournament, telling reporters, “the preparation is different, it’s more fun and we’re just vibing. As little serious as possible which is helping us”.
Can it translate to 11 a side?
Despite the format of the games being different to a traditional 11v11 game, there are tactics and qualities on the ball that can be transferred back to help the team next season. The smaller pitches allowed players with better close control to flourish, while improving these qualities for players who aren’t as strong on the ball.
Due to the fast pace of the games, with each half only being 15 minutes, players have to think quickly on the ball, and passing combinations need to happen in tight areas. United look suited to this format, with multiple players looking comfortable on the ball in these situations. This can be a foundation to take back to the 11-a-side game and start forming the partnerships on the pitch - allowing the players to take ownership and have the freedom in attack to roam and cause opposition defenders problems with quicker and smarter movement.
Assistant coach Carl Green shared his insights with the media on Saturday, saying: “It transfers when breaking teams down, we faced that quite a bit this year. It’s at times when we’re having to beat teams a little bit deeper. So I think that kind of combination play, moving off the ball and linking play, something that we’ve definitely highlighted we want to really work on and go through preseason. So it’s a nice transition for us into that”
The togetherness of this United squad has never been in doubt. It’s a trait which certainly has pushed the team above expectations over the last couple of years. After a poor end to the season, winning just one of their last 10 games, a fun tournament like World Sevens was perfect for players and fans to reset. It was three days where the noise was put to one side, with personality, attacking flair and vibes taking over. A much needed reset for all involved and it’s no surprise that staff and players would like to return to this tournament in future editions.
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