Manchester City face Arsenal in Sunday afternoon’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley
12:55, 22 Mar 2026Updated 14:13, 22 Mar 2026
The coach on fire on the M6 Toll(Image: X)
A coach carrying Manchester City fans has burst into the flames on the way to the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in Sunday afternoon’s final, with the two Premier League giants competing for their first silverware of the season.
The match is sold out, with 90,000 fans set to descend on north-west London to watch their teams in action.
However, fans travelling to the game from the north of England are being held up following a huge coach fire on the M6 Toll in the West Midlands.
The coach is believed to be a Man City supporters’ coach heading to the game, with pictures shared on social media showing a fire ripping through the vehicle as fire crews tackle the blaze.
A large section of the M6 has been closed off while crews work at the scene, our sister title Manchester Evening News reports. The incident has caused lengthy delays on the motorway, with traffic said to be at a standstill.
“Anyone en route to Wembley, lots of delays on M6 toll due to coach setting on fire,” one person wrote on X.
Another said: “Man City fan coach on way to Wembley on fire on M6 just after the toll, so we are at a standstill. Hope everyone is ok.”
“Bus fire on the M6 toll,” wrote a third person. “My mate is behind it and the whole road is stood still. People playing padel on the motorway.”
A witness told the MEN passengers were evacuated before being left waiting on the grass verge.
She said: “I wanted to report an incident currently unfolding on the M6 involving a coach carrying Manchester City fans travelling to Wembley.
“The coach has caught fire and is now severely damaged, with large plumes of smoke visible. Emergency services are on scene, and parts of the motorway appear to be closed, causing significant delays.
“Passengers have been evacuated and are currently waiting on the grass verge. No serious injuries have been reported so far.”
A statement from coach firm Ridleys Coaches confirmed that everyone had been safely evacuated from the vehicle, with no injuries.
“We can confirm an incident occurred involving one of our coaches on the M6 Toll southbound earlier today,” the statement read. “All passengers and the driver were safely evacuated with no injuries.
“We are grateful to the emergency services for their swift response. The coach was carrying fans to the Carabao Cup final, and the passengers are all safely on replacement coaches to the stadium.
“We are working with authorities to understand the circumstances and will provide further updates as appropriate.”