Manchester United’s 1998/99 treble is one of English football’s greatest triumphs. Led by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils won the Champions League in breathtaking style.
In the final, Bayern Munich struck early, with Mario Basler scoring a free-kick just six minutes in. They held the lead until the 91st minute.
Then came United’s astonishing comeback, with substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scoring to clinch the victory and seal the historic treble.
Sheringham’s equalizer seemed to promise extra time, but Solskjaer’s 93rd-minute goal sparked delirium at the Camp Nou.
That squad holds a special place in fans’ hearts. Here’s where its members are today.
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel
Captaining United in Roy Keane’s absence, Schmeichel played his final match for the club in the 1999 final.
One of Sir Alex’s finest signings and a goalkeeping legend, he won another title with Sporting Lisbon after leaving United. He returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2001 before retiring at Manchester City.
Schmeichel now works as a television pundit.
Right-Back: Gary Neville
Today, Neville is a familiar face as a Sky Sports pundit.
As a player, he forged a remarkable career at United and with England, part of the iconic Class of ’92.
After retiring, he was an assistant coach for England and briefly managed Valencia, with little success. He now focuses on punditry and co-owns Salford City.
Center-Back: Ronny Johnsen
Joining United with Solskjaer, the Norwegian was a quiet but vital part of the treble, partnering Jaap Stam effectively.
After six years at United, he played for Aston Villa and Newcastle, retiring in 2008.
Center-Back: Jaap Stam
Sir Alex later called selling Stam too soon one of his biggest regrets.
Signed from PSV Eindhoven in 1998 for £10.75 million, the formidable defender helped United win titles in each of his three seasons. He moved to Lazio, later detailing the transfer in his autobiography, and played for AC Milan and Ajax.
Stam has managed Reading and Feyenoord.
Left-Back: Denis Irwin
A bargain signing from Oldham in 1990 for £625,000, the Irish defender was among Sir Alex’s best acquisitions.
He retired at Wolves in 2004 and now works for MUTV while serving as a United ambassador.
Right Midfielder: Ryan Giggs
Giggs played 936 times for United, winning a record 13 Premier League titles.
Retiring in 2014, he served as United’s interim manager and assisted Louis van Gaal. He managed Wales from 2018 until June 2022, when legal troubles led to his departure.
Giggs co-owns Salford City.
Central Midfielder: Nicky Butt
A Class of ’92 graduate, Butt moved to Newcastle in 2004 after shining at United.
He played for South China in Hong Kong before retiring in 2011. He now works in United’s academy, focusing on youth development.
Central Midfielder: David Beckham
An English football icon, Beckham donned United’s famous No. 7 shirt before joining Real Madrid in 2003.
He played for LA Galaxy in MLS, with spells at AC Milan and PSG. Involved in London’s 2012 Olympic bid, he now owns Inter Miami.
Left Midfielder: Jesper Blomqvist
Blomqvist backed up Ryan Giggs, who was nursing a hamstring injury.
Injuries disrupted his time at United after his debut season. He retired in 2010 and runs a pizza shop near Stockholm.
Forward: Dwight Yorke
Yorke’s 1998/99 season was his peak at United. Bought from Aston Villa for £12.6 million, he scored 29 goals and paired brilliantly with Andy Cole.
After leaving United in 2002, he played for Blackburn, Birmingham, Sydney, and Sunderland, retiring in 2009.
Yorke is a pundit and manages Macarthur FC in Australia.
Forward: Andy Cole
Newcastle fans were furious when Kevin Keegan sold Cole to United in 1995. He became one of Old Trafford’s greatest strikers.
With Yorke’s arrival in 1998, Cole nearly left as Sir Alex pursued Patrick Kluivert. Instead, he and Yorke formed United’s finest strike partnership, driving the treble despite not scoring in the final.
Over six years at United, Cole became a Premier League scoring legend, remarkably without penalties.
He later coached at Macclesfield and Southend with Sol Campbell.
Substitute: Teddy Sheringham
Signed in 1997 to replace Eric Cantona, Sheringham struggled to match the Frenchman’s impact but etched his name in history with his Camp Nou goal.
He rejoined Tottenham in 2001, later playing for Portsmouth, West Ham, and retiring at Colchester United.
He managed Stevenage and India’s ATK FC briefly and is now a television pundit.
Substitute: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Signed from Molde in 1996 after United missed out on Alan Shearer, Solskjaer spent 11 seasons at the club, retiring in 2007.
He coached United’s youth team, managed Molde twice, and had a short stint at Cardiff City. In 2018, he returned as United’s interim manager after Jose Mourinho’s exit.
A thrilling Champions League turnaround against PSG earned him a permanent role, but he was sacked in November 2021 after a 4-1 defeat to Watford.
Substitute: Raimond van der Gouw
Schmeichel’s deputy, Van der Gouw appeared in eight matches during the 1998/99 season and stayed until 2002.
After retiring, he coached at Sunderland, Vitesse, and PSV Eindhoven.
Substitute: Wes Brown
A 1999 academy graduate, Brown was tipped as a future star center-back but thrived at right-back. He won another Champions League title in 2008.
Retiring in 2017, he now pundits for MUTV.
Substitute: David May
May is more famous for his Champions League trophy photo than his performances.
He works as a pundit for MUTV.
Substitute: Jonathan Greening
Greening capitalized on Roy Keane and Paul Scholes’ suspensions to make the final squad, shining in the celebrations.
After leaving United in 2001, he had strong spells at Middlesbrough, West Brom, and Fulham.
He currently manages Scarborough Athletic.
Substitute: Phil Neville
Less heralded than his brother Gary, Phil still enjoyed a solid United career.
He moved to Everton in 2005, excelling there. After retiring, he assisted David Moyes at United and coached England’s women’s team. He now manages Inter Miami, owned by Beckham, while working as a pundit and co-owning Salford City.
Suspended: Roy Keane
A yellow card against Juventus ruled Keane out of the final.
His Herculean effort in Turin, despite knowing he could miss the final, was key to United’s advancement.
Keane is a manager and a leading football pundit.
Suspended: Paul Scholes
Scholes was also suspended after a booking in Turin, though Keane’s absence garnered more focus.
He later won a second Champions League in 2008. After a brief spell managing Oldham, he appears as a guest pundit and co-owns Salford City.