Croke Park is set to host the largest-ever crowd for a soccer match in Ireland this evening as Manchester United and Leeds United meet in a pre-season friendly.

All 82,000 tickets for the game at GAA headquarters have been sold with kick-off at 7.30pm.

It will be the first soccer match to be played at the stadium since the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to France in a World Cup play-off in 2009.

The fixture is expected to attract supporters from across the country, giving a rare opportunity for Irish fans to watch two of English football’s biggest clubs go head-to-head in the capital.

Former Ireland, Manchester United and Leeds United star Denis Irwin believes the match being staged at Croke Park is an "important moment".

"Ireland has always been supportive of English clubs," the seven-time Premier League winner is quoted saying by RTE Sport.

He added: "Huge Manchester United fan base here and even when I was growing up, a big Leeds fan base.

"So, there's always been that love of English football in Ireland. It's great that there's a big match going on at Croke Park. It's a big rivalry. I don't think people understand how big a rivalry this is between Manchester United and Leeds, so it should be a great night."

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