Is playing the Club World Cup a blessing or a curse for Manchester City?

At the end of this season, Manchester City will participate in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. Pep Guardiola’s side have been drawn into Group G of the competition. They will face Juventus, Wydad AC and Al Ain FC in their group stage matches. But looking ahead, is it a blessing or a curse for Manchester City to participate in the tournament? There are arguments both for and against City’s participation in the latest FIFA tournament.

First of all, the arguments against Manchester City’s participation in the tournament are obvious. This potentially adds seven more meetings to the busy schedule they already face. Pep Guardiola’s side are already struggling with a heavy workload. Playing another tournament at the end of such a busy season is fraught with challenges. Fatigue is the biggest cause. This will also leave the champions little time to prepare for the 25/26 season. This is the most compelling argument against City’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.

But there are also arguments in favor of Manchester City’s participation in the tournament. The first is the financial gain that the world champions should receive. Mike Keegan reported for the Daily Mail that Manchester City, Chelsea and all other clubs participating in the tournament are set to receive a significant financial boost. Keegan reports that City could receive between £50m and £60m for participating in the tournament. In the era of PSR and FFP regulations, this represents a huge boost.

Manchester City’s participation in the Club World Cup could also have another advantage. Marca reported that FIFA was preparing to open a third transfer window. The window is expected to open June 1-10. In this way, clubs participating in the tournament can strengthen their squads before the competition.

This could play into City’s hands. If they can complete their transfer deals in this window, they could potentially use the tournament as a sort of pre-season for any new signings. Given that Manchester City look set to rebuild their squad next summer, this window could prove crucial for Pep Guardiola’s side.

There are arguments for and against Manchester City’s participation in the next FIFA Club World Cup. But it depends on your perspective on the situation. But should Pep Guardiola’s side crash out of the tournament, the opportunity to qualify Manchester City as world champions for the next four years could also be something too good to pass up.