There was only one way to get participating teams interested in the Club World Cup and FIFA obliged.
Manchester City and the other 31 clubs involved in the competition will fight it out for their share of £775 million in the United States this summer.
The winners will take home £97 million and at least £40 million is up for grabs for teams who progress pass the group stage, but City manager Pep Guardiola issued a stinging review of his team’s output this season.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says his player don’t deserve ‘even a watch’
When asked about Club World Cup prize money in his press conference on Friday, Guardiola gave short shrift to the idea of players getting a bonus for any success in the competition.
“We do not deserve a bonus this season,” he said.
“The money would be for the club, but the coach, the staff, the players do not deserve a bonus. Not even a watch.”
That’s a fair review of City’s performance in 2024-25 up to this point. While they’ll be in FA Cup action in a quarter-final against Bournemouth on Sunday, City have otherwise fallen short.
After not making a dent in the Carabao Cup – a competition that has underpinned their success under Guardiola – they were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid.
While they have every chance of securing a return to Europe’s top club competition, City are 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and have failed to win 15 of their 29 league matches.
City’s expectations are rather loftier than fifth place and Guardiola is right to point out that he and the players don’t warrant any reward for what has by any measure been a poor season.
Nevertheless, the restructured Club World Cup represents an opportunity to begin their rehabilitation in front of literally tens of global viewers and with serious prize money to be won.
Man City were placed in Group G and will play Wydad of Morocco in Philadelphia, UAE outfit Al Ain in Atlanta and Italian giants Juventus in Orlando.
Premier League rivals Chelsea will take on Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis and an as-yet-unconfirmed CONCACAF club in the group stage, which takes place in June.
The Blues were scheduled to play Leon before the Mexican club were thrown out for having the same ownership as Pachuca.
