Players who have represented both Manchester United and Como
Manchester United travel to Como on October 21, 2026, to meet Como in the UEFA Champions League 2026-27 league phase, with both sides desperate for a win to secure three points. The match comes as United seek a response to a poor start to the new season.
United’s trip to Como is their third Champions League match of the 2026-27 league phase and follows a sub-par opening to the campaign that the club is aiming to arrest. Interest is high among supporters of both teams as attention turns to players who have appeared for both Manchester United and Como.
Willy Kambwala’s progression began when he joined Manchester United’s academy from Sochaux in 2020 and he made his senior debut against West Ham United in December 2023 while still a teenager. In the 2023-24 season Kambwala made 10 professional appearances, eight of them in the Premier League, and he was part of United’s FA Cup-winning squad.
Kambwala left United for Villarreal in the summer of 2024 and, in his debut season in Spain, featured 21 times across LaLiga and the Copa del Rey as Villarreal finished fifth and secured a place in the following season’s Champions League. Como completed a loan deal for Kambwala for the 2026-27 campaign with an option to make the move permanent; when discussing the signing, Fàbregas spoke of his pace, physicality and ability to defend space, and Como indicated they may sign him permanently if he continues to impress.
Raphaël Varane joined Manchester United in 2021 after a decade at Real Madrid, arriving with four Champions League titles, three LaLiga crowns and a 2018 World Cup winners’ medal. Over three campaigns at Old Trafford he made 95 appearances and was part of United sides that won the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, with his final Manchester United appearance coming in the Wembley victory over Manchester City.
Varane signed for Como in July 2024 on a two-year contract with an option to extend, a move Cesc Fàbregas said was motivated by the experience Varane would bring to a squad finding its feet in Serie A. He made one competitive appearance for Como before announcing his retirement on 25 September 2024 at the age of 31 after suffering a serious knee injury in the Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria; Varane said, “A new life begins off the pitch. I will remain with Como. Just without using my boots and shin pads. Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon.”
Manchester United and Como meet on October 21, 2026, in the UEFA Champions League 2026-27 league phase, a fixture that represents United’s third match in the competition this season and offers both clubs the opportunity to claim three points in the group stage.
