At the end of the 2024/2025 season, Liverpool won the English Premier League title, Newcastle United secured the Carabao Cup, Crystal Palace earned the FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur secured the UEFA Europa League, to finish it off Chelsea claimed the UEFA. Conference League. It was a season of broken records as Liverpool had last won the league in the 2019/2020 season. Meanwhile, Newcastle last earned a major trophy in 1969, Crystal Palace won their first-ever trophy, Tottenham last acquired silverware in 2008, and Chelsea became the first club to complete the European set.
For many clubs, the 2024/2025 season will be very memorable. But for Manchester City, it will be one to forget. Aside from winning the FA Community Shield at the start of the season, the Sky Blues will be very disappointed with their performance. Manchester City’s woes began in October 2024 when Tottenham Hotspur beat them in the Carabao Cup. Their struggles continued with a series of injury issues and fatigue during the winter months, which saw them drop significantly in the EPL standings. Additional poor performances saw them finish towards the bottom of the UEFA Champions League table, and they face Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff stages. The Sky Blues were eliminated by Los Blancos in the Champions League in February 2025. By that point, Manchester City had also conceded the EPL title after a historic four-year run. Things seemed to turn as the Sky Blues earned their place in the FA Cup Final, but they fell short again as they lost to Crystal Palace. Manchester City then finished the 2024/2025 season by securing Champions League football, although this was a bare minimum requirement for them.
Traditionally, several senior team players would now embark on a one-to-two-month holiday period before the preseason begins. But schedule changes have impacted their rest period. First, there will be an international break at the beginning of June, where several teams will participate in either World Cup qualification matches, the UEFA Nations League finals, or international friendlies. After this period, Manchester City will then compete in the FIFA Club World Cup’s new format in mid-June.
In previous years, only the winners of the respective UEFA Champions League competitions on each continent would compete in the FIFA Club World Cup. This year, 32 teams from across the world will compete in the tournament. The teams will be divided into eight groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages. Teams that advance would play in a Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final format.
Manchester City were selected as one of the 32 teams to compete in the Club World Cup this summer, which will take place in the United States. Who are City’s opponents?
The Sky Blues will begin the tournament on Wednesday, 18 June in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They will face Wydad AC, a Moroccan team. The Moroccan side won the African Football Federation’s Champions League during the 2021/2022 season, and in recent seasons, they finished as runners-up in the 2019/2020 and 2022/2023 seasons. This will be the first meeting between the Sky Blues and the Red Castles.
Following this fixture, Manchester City will travel to Atalanta, Georgia, to play their next game on Sunday, 22 June. They will face Al Ain FC, a club from Abu Dhabi. They recently won the Asian Football Federation’s Champions League during the 2023/2024 season. This will be the first meeting between the Sky Blues and Al Zaeem.
Manchester City will then conclude the FIFA Club World Cup’s Group Stage in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, 22 June. They will face Italian side Juventus. The Sky Blues have had a history of facing La Vecchia Signora, most recently during the 2024/2025 Champions League. Manchester City have lost all three of their previous meetings against Juventus.
After these three matches, the Club World Cup’s knockout stage will begin. The Round of 16 games will be played between 28 June and 1 July. Time will tell if the Sky Blues advance to this period.
Overall, June 2025 (and potentially July 2025) may prove to be another eventful period for Manchester City. How will the Sky Blues fare in this competition?