Club World Cup is key for Guardiola as he plots Manchester City revival
The manager knows the summer tournament in the US can provide a blueprint for success after a trophyless season
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 18 June, 5pm local time: when Manchester City wander out for their opening Fifa Club World Cup Group G game against Wydad AC, the 2025-26 campaign begins for Pep Guardiola.
The Premier League’s opening day may be 16 August but if the Club World Cup exists in a quasi-no-man’s land of post-season, close-season or pre-pre-season, for the Catalan the inaugural 32-team tournament fires the starting pistol on next season, an attempt to fix the wrongs of 2024-25, and a push to reestablish City as a relentless force. As he says: “I’m pretty sure next season we’ll be better.”