Newcastle United set to confirm three more friendly matches ahead of 2024-25 season

The Magpies will be heading to Japan next month for two friendly matches against Urawa Red Diamonds at the Saitama Stadium on July 31 (11:30am kick-off BST) and Yokohama F. Marinos at the Japan National Stadium on August 3 (1pm kick-off BST).

The two matches in Tokyo are Newcastle’s only two friendly matches to be confirmed so far officially. But more are set to follow.

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “Training will start early July. That planning is in the mix, we're still finalising our final pre-season games so a lot of energy is going into that behind the scenes.” 

The Gazette understands that the Sela Cup will return to St James’ Park as expected on August 10 and August 11, a week before Newcastle’s 2024-25 Premier League opener at home to Southampton on August 17. Three ‘European standard’ teams will join Newcastle in the pre-season competition.

Newcastle won the inaugural Sela Cup last summer ahead of Nice, Fiorentina and Villarreal.

The Magpies have played seven summer friendlies each pre-season they’ve had under Eddie Howe and are expected to continue that trend this summer. In addition to the two Japan and Sela Cup matches, Newcastle are set to head to the Adidas Headquarters in Herzogenaurach currently in use by Euro 2024 hosts Germany.

Newcastle will play one match at the Adidas HQ with the trip taking place mid-to-late July, prior to the Toyko trip.

Newcastle have opened both pre-seasons under Howe with a friendly against local non-league side Gateshead. The Magpies’ 3-2 win in front of 7,096 supporters is understood to have given Gateshead a six-figure financial boost ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

But the clubs have not been able to arrange a friendly match so far this summer. While Gateshead would understandably want Newcastle to return to the International Stadium, United’s preference would be to play behind closed doors as they did during the summer of 2022.

Championship side Hull City have also been identified as a potential friendly opponent for The Magpies next month. The prospective match would be played at Hull’s MKM Stadium and likely take place prior to the trip Japan.

So that’s at least three more friendly matches in the form of two Sela Cup fixtures and a domestic away trip still to be announced in addition to the trip to Germany and a potential behind-closed-doors match.