Man City set to leave star out of Club World Cup squad

In partnership with

EPL Index

·5 June 2025

Man City set to leave star out of Club World Cup squad

Grealish Set to Miss Club World Cup as Man City Shift Gaze Forward

Time catches up with a treble winner

There was a time, not long ago, when Jack Grealish represented a kind of footballing ideal at Manchester City — exuberant, fearless, a conduit between touchline and terrace. Now, as Pep Guardiola’s side prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, it appears the 29-year-old will not be joining them. Not through injury. Not through suspension. But through selection.

Photo: IMAGO

OneFootball Videos

Absence speaks volumes at Man City

Grealish’s omission from City’s final Premier League game of the 2024–25 campaign and his absence from the FA Cup final squad hinted at a changing of the guard. Guardiola, ever the pragmatist, has long insisted his choices are tactical, not personal. Yet football at the highest level is merciless. Sentiment rarely finds space in a matchday squad.

Photo IMAGO

“Not personal,” said Guardiola of Grealish’s exclusion from the Fulham matchday squad.“We will speak with his people and see what is best for the club and for Jack.”

It is a striking fall from grace. Just two years ago, Grealish played a pivotal role in City’s treble triumph, a campaign that saw him blend flair with discipline, finally embedding himself into Guardiola’s relentlessly structured blueprint.

From marquee signing to crossroads

Grealish arrived in 2021 from Aston Villa for a British record £100 million. He was the statement signing. A flair player made good. A local lad turned elite footballer. Across 157 appearances, he has contributed 17 goals and 23 assists, numbers that only tell part of the story. He helped drag defences out of shape, occupied spaces others exploited, and above all, played with personality.

Photo: IMAGO

But last season brought just 20 league appearances, only seven of them starts. In a squad loaded with emerging talent and fine-tuned tactical discipline, Grealish no longer feels indispensable.

“Do I want the Jack that won the treble? Yeah, I want it,” Guardiola said back in January.“I saw his level and I want that, every single training session and every single game.”

Future uncertain, legacy intact

Grealish’s story is far from over, but this feels like a turning point. With no England call-up under Thomas Tuchel and talks scheduled over his future, the summer may define the next chapter of a career that once seemed to soar without limit.

City begin their Club World Cup journey on 18 June against Wydad AC. Grealish, it appears, will watch from afar.