Manager says qualifying for the competition a clear sign of club’s recent success
Pep Guardiola has said “it would be great” for Manchester City to seize the perfect opportunity the Club World Cup has offered and end the season with another trophy.
The City manager was disappointed to end the 2024-25 campaign without a trophy, the first time since his debut season at the club. After their final league game against Fulham, Guardiola said the season had been so tough that securing Champions League qualification felt “like a title”.
Speaking ahead of the Club World Cup’s kick-off on 14 June, the Spaniard said: “I can’t deny it would be great to win it. However, there are 31 other clubs aiming for the trophy. I never start with the idea that we’re going to win it, because it’s about taking it one game at a time.”
He also added that participating in the expanded Club World Cup format is “an honour” and a reflection of the club’s recent success in both the Premier League and Europe.
“It means we’ve done a great job in recent seasons,” said Guardiola. “It’s a new competition, and I’m looking forward to being part of it.”
Looking ahead to the start of the tournament, Guardiola was excited about the diversity of their opponents.
“We’ll play against teams from Oceania, Asia, South America and so on, each with different footballing philosophies, player types and cultures,” he said. “I see that as something very positive.”
