Manager understands the competition could affect their fitness levels next season but wants to focus on winning it as a “path again to be competitive”
Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City could feel the long-term effects of their participation in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, as his team prepare to face Al-Hilal in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
City’s involvement in the month-long tournament in the United States comes after a gruelling 2024-25 campaign, and ahead of a shortened off-season before domestic football resumes. With high temperatures also posing a challenge, the competition has evoked serious concerns around scheduling and player fatigue.
City will play their round-of-16 game in Orlando, Florida against an Al-Hilal side featuring high-profile names such as Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves. Speaking ahead of the match, Guardiola said he was trying to focus on the immediate challenge.
“I try to relax, enjoy the days here and the good vibes that we have, the competition, and we try to win it,” said Guardiola. “The most important thing is to recover and find within ourselves what we were. That’s my main target in this tournament.
“I want them to feel that this is our path again to be competitive, like we have been in eight of the last nine years.”
City are aiming to become the first club to win the restructured 32-team Club World Cup, and perhaps through that, put a disappointing 2024-25 campaign behind them. But Guardiola understands that the competition could affect them going into the 2025-26 season.
“Let’s see what happens after the final,” said Guardiola. “We can rest and take the time that the Premier League has allowed us to rest and then we will see.
“Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted, and the World Cup has destroyed us. I don’t know. It’s the first time in our lives that this has happened. We will see when we come back.”
