Ahead of the 2026 men's World Cup kick-off tonight, Manchester City has announced a new museum experience sharing the history of the football club.
The attraction will open within a new development next to the Etihad Stadium later this year.
It will boast 10 spaces across 1,700 square meters, tackling the Premier League club’s history, from its foundation in the 1800s to its time in Moss Side and eventual move to the Etihad in 2003.
The experience will combine interactive football challenges with displays of memorabilia, including 48 major trophies won by the club's first teams, and a pop-up temporary exhibition space.
Sports brand Puma, which has a long-standing commercial partnership with the club, will host an area of the museum where visitors have the chance to take part in a variety of active football challenges to test their football ability – including a shooting game inspired by Sergio Aguero's iconic last-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012.
The museum, which has been designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, will sit alongside Manchester City’s current stadium tour offering.
Advertisement
“Building a completely new museum has allowed us to create an immersive experience that celebrates the people and moments which have shaped Manchester City,” said Danny Wilson, the managing director of Manchester City operations.
“But our story isn’t traditional and straightforward, so why should our museum experience be? We want something different. Something immersive which will resonate with our fans, as well as excite the wider city. In doing so, we have developed something that appeals to fans, complements the Etihad Campus and provides a year‑round attraction for the city.”
The experience will be situated within the new £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus, which once open will also house a hotel, restaurants, offices and event spaces.
Football Art Prize
As World Cup fever builds, the winners of this year's Football Art Prize have also been revealed.
Advertisement
The award celebrates the "passion, drama and unity" the game inspires around the globe.
The winners of the 2026 prize were announced this week at Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery, where shortlisted works can be seen on public display as part of a new exhibition opening to coincide with the first day of the World Cup.
Alina Akbar, a Manchester-based multidisciplinary artist, was awarded the first prize of £5,000 for her video Footwork, which explores the connection between football and dance.
Sheffield-based artist Conor Rogers won the second prize of £2,000 for his ongoing Betting Slip series, four works from which feature in the exhibition.
The Football Art Prize showcases the work of more than 60 UK and international artists.
The prizewinners and the other shortlisted works were selected by panellists including the director of the Design Museum, Tim Marlow, artist Harland Miller, footballer Jessica Naz and artist Emmely Elgersma.
Katie Irwin, the exhibition curator at Sheffield Museums said: “Football is the most popular sport in the world and the shortlisted works in this exhibition are a powerful testament to why the beautiful game means so much to so many.
“While the approaches and subjects differ hugely across the works on display, each is united in depicting the thrill, drama, joy and heartbreak the game conjures and reflecting our profound connection to it.”
