Manchester City to Discover FIFA Club World Cup Opponents Soon as New Tournament Details Emerge
Manchester City will soon learn their FIFA Club World Cup opponents, with the group stage draw scheduled for early December in the United States. This draw will reveal City’s game schedule and locations for the tournament. FIFA will also unveil a new-look trophy at the event.
This week, FIFA released the official rulebook for the 2025 Club World Cup, which includes an expectation for clubs to field their “strongest teams.” This sparked a heated response from Pep Guardiola, who questioned, “What constitutes a strongest team?” and firmly stated that “nobody will tell [him] who to select.” Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City is set to expire during the tournament, but he is eager to lead the club in the USA next summer. If needed, he could sign a two-week extension to coach City at the tournament.
With Inter Miami now confirmed as a qualifier from the host nation (partly due to Lionel Messi’s commercial draw), only one place remains open for the 32-team tournament. This final spot will be decided by the Copa Libertadores final on November 30, where either Atletico Mineiro or Botafogo will join the competition. This brings Brazil’s representation to four teams—an exception to the two-team limit per association, as three Brazilian clubs have consecutively won the Copa Libertadores.
As for seeding, the format is expected to resemble the FIFA World Cup, where teams are ranked into four pots. If these rankings hold, City, qualifying with the fourth-highest ranking, would be in Pot One alongside powerhouse clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Flamengo, and River Plate. This means City would avoid heavyweights like Real or Bayern until later knockout stages. They would also likely be limited to one other European side in their four-team group, potentially steering clear of Chelsea in the group phase.
Details on seeding rules and group restrictions, such as limiting each group to one club per country, are expected from FIFA soon. This approach would align with standard practices in competitions like the Champions League and Copa Libertadores.
