Sabah FK news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Sabah FK, founded 2017, face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League.
The Azerbaijani club is the youngest ever to reach the league phase.
Background
Sabah FK was founded in 2017 and did not exist nine years ago. The Azerbaijani side navigated four qualifying rounds, beating The New Saints, KuPS Kuopio, and Aarhus, to become the youngest club ever to reach the Champions League league phase or group stage. They won their first domestic league title and retained the Azerbaijan Cup last season. Manchester United return to the Champions League for the first time since December 2023 under manager Michael Carrick.
How it unfolded
- Aug 25, 2026Sabah beat Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-2 in the Champions League play-off second leg, advancing 6-4 on aggregate after a 94th-minute goal forced extra time.
- Sep 5, 2026Sabah won 5-0 against Zira FK in the Premyer Liqasi.
- Sep 10, 2026Sabah are set to face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League league phase.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Sabah arrive with little experience at this level but palpable momentum, having won four of their last five matches.
- Caution
- Facing a full Old Trafford in European competition represents a different challenge entirely for the Azerbaijani side.
Still unverified
The exact date of the match is inconsistent across sources: some list Thursday, Sept. 9, while others say Thursday, Sept. 10. Kickoff time is given as 3 p.m. ET. Manchester United's injury list varies by source; some include Tom Heaton, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and Marcus Rashford as doubts, while others do not.