The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, set to take place from June 14 to July 13 in the United States, is shaping up to be one of the most significant and controversial tournaments in recent memory. For the first time, the competition has expanded from a seven-team knockout format to a full 32-team tournament, aligning more closely with the structure of the FIFA World Cup. This expansion promises a month-long spectacle and will serve as a key test ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S.
Manchester City will travel with all four of their summer signings: goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, and midfielders Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki. Mateo Kovacic is sidelined due to injury, while James McAtee has opted to represent England’s Under-21s this summer. Midfielder Rodri is included as he continues his recovery from injury, but Kevin De Bruyne is not named, despite being contracted until June 30.
The full Manchester City squad includes:
Defenders: Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Vitor Reis, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Abdukodir Khusanov
Midfielders: Nico O’Reilly, Tijjani Reijnders, Jeremy Doku, Nico Gonzalez, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Savinho, Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki, Claudio Echeverri, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis
Forwards: Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush
FIFA has allocated a record $1 billion in prize money for the tournament, with the winner set to receive up to $125 million. The funds are distributed based on participation and sporting performance, with FIFA committing additional solidarity payments totaling $250 million to clubs worldwide. Tensions have reportedly emerged between Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City board over the club’s involvement in the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. While the City hierarchy views the tournament as a major opportunity to boost the club’s global profile, Guardiola appears far less enthusiastic.
If City reach the final, the campaign would run through to July 13, leaving players with minimal time to recover ahead of the 2025/26 season. The squad is already arriving with little rest due to the international break, raising further questions about how seriously Guardiola will treat the early stages of the competition.
Speaking on ESPN’s The Football Reporters Podcast, journalist Mark Ogden noted the club has taken the tournament preparation seriously, even sending officials on site visits to assess training facilities. However, he also pointed to Guardiola’s previous comments suggesting a more relaxed approach.
“Pep made a comment a couple of months ago about, ‘Oh, I want my players to go and enjoy playing golf,’” Ogden said. “There’s probably some truth in that, but it’s also clear he’s very focused on winning it.”
Ogden added that while City’s board sees the tournament as a chance to cement the club’s place among European giants like Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, Guardiola has repeatedly downplayed its significance.
“There’s a clear tension between the club’s ambition to make a statement globally, and Pep’s more pragmatic focus on managing workload and preparing for next season,” Ogden said.