Man United Padel: Old Trafford Fans, Footballers and the Rise of Padel

Football-inspired padel · Old Trafford fans · Red Devils culture

Manchester United and padel are now officially connected. When the club opened its £50 million Carrington training ground revamp in August 2025, a padel court was included — put there because the players specifically asked for it. Diogo Dalot, who co-owns a padel club in Porto, led the push. Manager Rubén Amorim and several coaches were also regular padel players.

For Red Devils fans, padel is no longer just a fashionable side story. It is now part of what happens at Carrington.

The padel court the United players asked for

When Manchester United's £50 million Carrington redevelopment was being planned, players were asked what they wanted in the new facility. According to Goal.com's inside tour of the revamped building, the squad unanimously petitioned for a padel court. The list of keen padel players at the club included Diogo Dalot, Amorim and several of his coaching staff.

ESPN confirmed the padel court as one of the standout new additions alongside a high-altitude chamber, sleep pods and an F1 simulator. The purpose was team bonding as much as sport — giving players a reason to stay at Carrington after training sessions.

Diogo Dalot: United's most prominent padel player

Dalot is the clearest Man United – padel connection. The Portuguese right-back gave an interview to Premier League TV at a padel centre to discuss the sport's growth. Beyond that, he went further and co-founded a padel club in Porto, where he grew up. He had advice from fellow padel enthusiast Zlatan Ibrahimovic when setting up the venture.

Dalot also featured on The Padel Club's social media in the UK — one of the highest-profile associations between a current Premier League player and a specific padel operator. His Instagram bio includes @padelathleticclub as a sponsored link.

In short, Dalot is not just a fan. He is an investor, an ambassador and one of padel's most visible connections to English top-flight football.

Rubén Amorim: from Carrington to the padel court

Amorim was confirmed as a padel player during his time at Manchester United. After his departure from the club in January 2026, he was photographed playing padel in Lisbon with Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana at Padel Expo — a high-profile appearance that made football news across Europe.

The pair had worked together previously at Sporting CP, and their Lisbon padel session prompted widespread speculation about Amorim's next managerial role. It was also a reminder of how deeply padel is embedded in Portuguese football culture — from players to managers to directors of football.

Cristiano Ronaldo and the €5 million padel investment

No discussion of Man United and padel is complete without Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon made headlines in 2024 and 2025 with a multi-million euro padel investment in Portugal. He purchased 100% of the Lisbon Racket Centre and co-funded the “Cidade do Padel” (City of Padel) complex in Oeiras — 17 courts including a 2,000-seat central court, at an estimated cost of €5 million.

Ricardo Oliveira, president of the Portuguese Padel Federation, said Ronaldo “plays padel almost daily” and that his involvement would “change padel not just in Portugal, but worldwide.” In September 2024, Ronaldo was filmed playing with world number one Arturo Coello. He later livestreamed the Premier Padel Riyadh Finals on his YouTube channel to an audience of tens of millions.

Ronaldo famously criticised Carrington in his 2022 exit interview. Less than three years later, United opened a revamped training ground that now includes a padel court his former teammates specifically asked for.

Why United fans should play padel

Quick feet

Padel rewards sharp first steps and fast recovery. The same attributes that make a good full-back make a good padel player.

Partnership

Padel is doubles. You defend and attack as a pair, just like a well-drilled defensive unit.

Transitions

Padel switches from defence to attack in a single shot — reading those moments is a football instinct.

Identity

Football fans carry club culture everywhere. Football-inspired padelwear gives that identity a court-ready form.

Shop Old Trafford-inspired padelwear

Football-inspired padel identity for Red Devils fans, Old Trafford supporters and players who want club culture on court.

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Is this official Manchester United merchandise?

No. The Red Devils Old Trafford Padel Club shirt is not official Manchester United merchandise and is not affiliated with Manchester United Football Club. It is football-inspired padelwear for fans of Old Trafford football culture and the wider crossover between football and padel.

FAQs: Man United players and padel

+Do Man United players play padel?

Yes — verifiably. Diogo Dalot is a well-documented padel player and investor who co-owns a padel club in Porto. The Carrington training ground revamp (August 2025) included a padel court specifically because players — led by Dalot — asked for one. Former manager Rubén Amorim was also a padel player.

+Is there a padel court at Manchester United's training ground?

Yes. The revamped Carrington training centre, which reopened in August 2025 after a £50 million redevelopment, includes a padel court. It was added at the players' request, with Diogo Dalot and Rubén Amorim among the most enthusiastic proponents.

+Does Cristiano Ronaldo play padel?

Yes. Ronaldo is a regular padel player and major investor in the sport. He invested around €5 million in the Lisbon Racket Centre and the "City of Padel" complex in Oeiras, played with world number one Arturo Coello in September 2024, and livestreamed Premier Padel tournaments on his YouTube channel.

+Did Rubén Amorim play padel?

Yes. Amorim was confirmed as a padel player during his time at Manchester United, and was photographed playing padel in Lisbon in March 2026 after his departure from the club — an appearance that made football news across Europe.

+Is the Red Devils Old Trafford Padel Club shirt official Manchester United merchandise?

No. It is football-inspired padelwear not affiliated with Manchester United Football Club. It is designed for fans of Old Trafford football culture who play padel.

Sources

"Man United", "Old Trafford" and "Red Devils" are used descriptively for football culture. Products referenced are football-inspired padelwear not affiliated with Manchester United Football Club.

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