Tijjani Reijnders #4 of Manchester City is challanged by Oussama Zemraoui #23 of Wydad AC (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - Manchester City’s opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against Wydad AC was jam-packed with storylines, drama, and interruptions. But at the end of the day, and to nobody’s surprise, City prevailed with a 2-0 victory against an inspired Wydad side, sending a strong message to the tournament’s remaining 31 teams.
The Cityzens broke the deadlock within two minutes. Nathaniel Aké sprayed a pass into the final third, with Jérémy Doku doing well to keep it in play and cross toward Phil Foden. The 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season dished it off to Sávinho, who squared up his defender, surged toward the byline, and fired at goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid. The Moroccan stopper parried weakly into Foden’s path, who instantly fired into the bottom-left corner.
Backed by a raucous traveling fanbase—which briefly halted the match by throwing flares onto the pitch—Wydad minimized City’s threat and even forced goalkeeper Ederson into a sharp save. Yet they failed to equalize, and City doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute. Foden’s corner kick found Doku, who coolly finished.
Guardiola Experiments with Fresh Faces
From there, City cruised comfortably to their 2-0 victory in Philadelphia, showcasing their depth and fresh talent. After failing to win major silverware last season for the first time in eight years, City swiftly rebuilt their squad with four key signings. Tijjani Reijnders (€55 million from Milan) bolstered midfield; Rayan Aït-Nouri (€36.8 million from Wolves) added competition at left-back; Marcus Bettinelli (€2.4 million from Chelsea) joined as backup goalkeeper; and attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki (€36.8 million from Lyon) arrived to rejuvenate creativity.
Guardiola took this chance to experiment, benching midfield stalwarts Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and İlkay Gündoğan. Instead, he deployed Reijnders, Cherki, and Foden. Omar Marmoush started as lone striker ahead of Erling Haaland, while Rico Lewis featured at right-back until a late red card. Defensive mainstays Rúben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and John Stones watched from the bench as January recruit Vítor Reis got a rare start alongside Aké, Lewis, and Nico O’Reilly. Oscar Bobb, returning from injury, saw a 30-minute cameo replacing Doku.
Cherki’s Slow Start Doesn’t Worry Guardiola
Reijnders impressed in a deep-lying playmaker role, but Cherki struggled to impact the match and was subbed off at the hour mark. Still, Guardiola maintained confidence in the 21-year-old French international, signed as a successor to Kevin De Bruyne, who joined Napoli on a free transfer.
“Of course, Kevin is difficult to replace for the quality he has, no doubt about that,” Guardiola told RG post-match. “But at the same time, the club chose Rayan because he has incredible skills close to the box, incredible vision and passing. It’s just the first game under tough conditions. I’m really pleased that he’s here.”
After a ruthless run of dominance, City’s stumble last season prompted an urgent rebuild. Guardiola eyes another trophy on July 14 in New Jersey but also sees this tournament as a key test to fine-tune his squad before the transfer window closes.
City will next face Emirati side Al Ain on Sunday in Atlanta, followed by Italian giants Juventus next Thursday in Orlando. Wydad remain in Philadelphia to face Juventus Sunday before heading to Washington, D.C., to take on Al Ain.
Zach Lowy
