Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens have been sharpening their skills, trading Manchester rain for red, white and blue as they gear up for their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 debut on U.S. soil.
Manchester City earned their spot by winning the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, Europe’s top club competition.
The upcoming tournament, set to kick off this summer, marks the first time the expanded FIFA Club World Cup will be hosted in the United States, bringing together 32 of the world’s top clubs for a global showdown.
City’s group stage match is scheduled for June 22 against Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Since joining City in 2016, Guardiola has transformed the team into a dominant force in world football, leading the club to multiple Premier League titles — including a historic run of three consecutive wins from 2021 to 2023 and a treble in 2023, which included the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League trophies.
Known for his possession-based, attacking style, Guardiola has developed stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland, helping City become one of the most recognized clubs globally.
“It’s an honour,” Guardiola said. “We were lucky, because in the last season we had done really well, in the UEFA Champions League and in the domestic league. So, it’s a new one, and I’m looking forward to it.”
The tournament will showcase diverse playing styles and cultures, something Guardiola welcomes.
“Even in domestic leagues, there are different managers, different cultures and different styles, different ways to play,” Guardiola said. “So, of course, you’re playing against a team from Oceania, from Asia, from South America. It’s a new format. So, that’s why it’s football, right? It’s not always the same style, there are different visions, different types of players, and cultures. That is culture.”
As Manchester City prepares for the FIFA Club World Cup, their success will depend on taking it one step at a time, focusing on arriving in top form and letting the results unfold.
“Well, it would be nice to win, we cannot deny it,” Guardiola said. “But there are 31 other teams that want the same thing. So, we will see how we finish the season, we will see how we arrive in that tournament, all together, and after we’ll see what happens.”
Manchester City will also face Juventus, one of Italy’s most historic and celebrated clubs, on July 27 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, during the tournament.
“We played them this season in Turin and we lost,” Guardiola said. “But a new manager will be there. It’s the most important team in Italy, it’s the most followed, and Juventus is an incredible, incredible team in many aspects. So, yeah, looking forward to it.”
More than anything, Manchester City is eager to play for its passionate fans in the U.S., whose growing support has become a source of pride for the club.
“We grew in the supporter fan base, a lot in the last decade,” Guardiola said. “People maybe enjoyed in the past, watching us play, and of course, we’ve had preseasons, I don’t know, in Asia, sometimes in America, and you see a lot of blueshirts, you know, in the stands, following the players, and asking for autographs and pictures with our players. We cannot deny it, it makes us so proud.”
Though Guardiola spent a sabbatical year in New York following his tenure at FC Barcelona, he admits his experience in the U.S. is limited, however, his opinion of the sports culture of the country is not.
“I think Michael Jordan has helped to make basketball become a better place to live, and Tiger Woods, of course, his influence in that game was massive,” Guardiola said. “But, of course, you know, the United States in all sports, NFL or, you know, all the sports, baseball, like here in Europe, it’s less important than in America. Their focus on how the organisation helped make that specific sport rise and get better.”
As Manchester City prepares to bring its world-class soccer to American soil, all eyes will be on Guardiola and his team as they seek to add the FIFA Club World Cup trophy to their growing collection.
Tickets to see Manchester City play in Atlanta on June 22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium are available through Ticketmaster.
