Brown highlights importance of Champions League qualification | OneFootball

Michael Brown has reiterated the significance of Manchester City qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

The Blues ended a challenging domestic campaign on a high note by ensuring our spot in Europe’s elite competition with a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

It ensured City finished third in the Premier League, and top of a five-horse race for Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

Pep Guardiola’s men have now reached the Champions League 15 years in a row, and Brown has once again emphasised the appeal the competition has in attracting new signings and generally growing the profile of the Club.

WATCH: Extended highlights: Fulham 0-2 City

“The Champions League is the pinnacle,” the former City midfielder said on Matchday Live.

“All the players coming from all around the world, wherever you sign them that’s the first thing, are you in the Champions League. When you are, it’s much more attractive for you to come and sign and get better and better.

“The trips are great around Europe and for the Club with regards to being on the map, growing and getting stronger.

“The job was done, the players did exactly what they needed to do today [against Fulham]. It was a really professional performance.”

WATCH: We proved how much we wanted Champions League, says Guardiola

The 2024/25 campaign is far from over though, as pointed out by Brown’s fellow Matchday Live pundit and former City defender Nedum Onuoha, with the Blues competing in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer in the United States.

We earned our spot in the newly formatted competition thanks to our 2023 Champions League win, and will face Moroccan outfit Wydad AC, United Arab Emirates side Al Ain and Italian giants Juventus in the group stages.

Onuoha is excited to see how City will fare in the tournament, and also pointed out that it could present some of our returning stars with a chance for valuable match minutes ahead of 2025/26.

WATCH THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 ON DAZN

He added: “It should be good. It's nice to have that bit of football in the midsummer region, and to see how they’re going to do.

“To play in the Club World Cup is a normal thing but to have it in this format and over there, it’ll be a test.

“There’s Rodri, you could be looking at Nathan Ake, maybe John Stones comes back in as well. It’ll be good in terms of some City players getting a chance to get some football before next season starts.

“It’s going to be fun.”

How to follow the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

DAZN will broadcast every minute from the event, with all 63 matches, live-streamed, free to view on DAZN globally, and in multiple languages.

If you are already a DAZN subscriber or Freemium member, then the competition is part of your current membership.

City’s page on DAZN’s website

To sign up for a free DAZN account now you only need an email address to register, with no hidden costs or fees.

You can then watch all the action on the DAZN App via smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices, game consoles and web browsers.

Join now to be ready to watch DAZN’s coverage for free.

Every City match will be covered in full across mancity.com and our official app, with our usual offering of a Matchday Centre and Matchday Live followed by a match report, written and video reaction and highlights from the US.