Manchester City vs Wydad Casablanca

Manchester City, eager to claim a second Club World Cup title in consecutive tournaments, kick off their Group G campaign on Wednesday, facing off against Morocco’s Wydad AC in Philadelphia.

The group also includes Serie A giants Juventus and Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates, and anything less than a top-two finish would be a major disappointment for the Citizens.

After a challenging 2024-25 season, Man City’s supporters are hoping tough times breed resilience in Pep Guardiola’s squad. The team’s only highlight last term was an early Community Shield victory, overshadowed by losing the Premier League crown to Liverpool, a Champions League exit against Real Madrid, and a heartbreaking FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace.

With the looming verdict on 115 charges casting a shadow over the club, City’s focus remains on what they can control. Guardiola and the transfer team have been active early in the summer window, bringing in Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Tijjani Reijnders to bolster the squad, particularly to fill the creative void left by Kevin De Bruyne. More signings are expected before the domestic season begins.

On the pitch, Manchester City enter as defending Club World Cup champions, having dominated the 2023 tournament before FIFA introduced the Intercontinental Cup as a temporary replacement in 2024.

Meanwhile, their opponents, Wydad AC, bring slightly more Club World Cup experience, marking their third appearance in 2025. The Moroccan giants, with a record 22 domestic titles, debuted in the 2017-18 tournament, finishing sixth after a loss to Urawa Red Diamonds, and were eliminated in the second round by Al-Hilal in 2022-23.

Wydad earned their spot in this expanded tournament through their 2021-22 CAF Champions League victory. However, under coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem, the team has struggled recently, finishing third in the 2024-25 Botola and suffering a historic group-stage exit in the 2023-24 CAF Champions League. Recent friendly defeats to Porto and Sevilla by narrow 1-0 margins suggest Wydad will aim to keep the game tight against City on Wednesday.