Manchester City vs Wydad AC (FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How To Watch | OneFootball

Manchester City return to action on Wednesday evening – for those in the United Kingdom – as they kick off their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign.

The Club World Cup – which City qualified for via their UEFA Champions League triumph of 2023 – was rebranded and expanded by FIFA to upscale the previously known edition while bringing together some of the world’s elite to compete in a 32-club tournament.

With the incredible amount of money invested into the mid-summer competition, possible earnings are likely to reach up to around £100 million, and so for Pep Guardiola, his new backroom staff, and the reinvigorated Manchester City team, the focus will be on securing the trophy and the lucrative finances that come with it. However, this will be a tall order.

Wydad AC are the first opponents – a Moroccan side from Casablanca that finished in a respectable third place in the division last campaign after a 30-game calendar. The side last won the league back in 2022, crowned champions for the second successive season whilst also winning the CAF Champions League that same year.

For the African side, players that could pose a threat to City include Mohamed Rayhi and Cassius Mailula, while the clash between these two sides is the first of 12 games to take place in Group G, as Juventus and Al-Ain face off in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Ahead of Manchester City’s opening contest at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, here is everything you need to know ahead of the encounter at Lincoln Financial Field!

Match Details

Manchester City face off against Wydad AC on Wednesday evening with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 BST and 12:00 EDT.

Match Officials

FIFA have confirmed that Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti will oversee this clash between Manchester City and Wydad AC.

Check out the full list of match officials below!

Team News

A welcome surprise for Pep Guardiola following last season; the Catalan was spoilt for choice in terms of available players for the 24-man squad that would travel to the United States. Everyone who travelled remains injury-free, fit and hopefully firing.

Although he did not travel with the squad, the only absentee in regard to injury for Manchester City is Mateo Kovačić, who underwent successful surgery on an Achilles injury and will likely be fit to return for the 2025/26 league campaign.

Similarly, although Wydad AC have a fully-fit travelling squad, left-back Ayoub Boucheta and young Brazilian forward Renan were unable to travel due to injury.

Press Conference Notes

On the FIFA Club World Cup: “It’s the beginning of the [new] season. Sport and life, what happened in the past, good things or bad things – it’s about that, we start the season. That is our feeling.”

“It’s a World Cup; that means 32 teams from different continents, coming here to represent their own countries or continents, their own football, and share it together. That is what has to be in this world.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen much with the amount of wars we have in front of us, and always it happens because we think or pretend we’re better than others. And we’re not special, we’re the same. Everyone has a mother and father.

“It doesn’t define by the colour of our skin or where you’re born. Nobody, not one of us in this room, decides or chooses or takes part in when they were born. Nothing, zero. Just education can save us and the World Cup is an incredible opportunity to understand we come here all together, to show who we are in the best way, playing the sport we love, and supporters of both sides sharing different continents and places, and this is what we should be all around the world.

“Hopefully this World Cup can help people understand that.”

On North African football talent: “Today football has grown up all around the world… I’ll put an example with Riyad Mahrez from Algeria, and oh my god! What a player! They have incredible skills. The last, I think, World Cup, Morocco made an incredible tournament.

“I have a huge, huge respect. We saw them when we could, how physical and strong, how good they attack in-behind in the channels. But we have a game plan, we are here to make a good tournament and tomorrow we start.”

“The quality of African players always has been there, not just in terms of physicality, but the skills that they have. I have a huge respect… Look how many, many, many African players – North or South – are playing already in Europe in the big, big clubs!

“There are a lot! And that means they are really good players.”

On the United States: “It’s an incredible place and of course the United States has I don’t know how many sports, just see the Universities how they take care of development, to make different sports, and after be able to choose.

“I don’t think there’s a better place if you want to become an athlete, and the opportunities you have here. Every time we come on summer tours, the organisation in airports, hotels, facilities, everything is extraordinary. Always we’ve been so, so comfortable.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back!”

How To Watch

For United Kingdom-based viewers, the game will be free to watch on both Channel 5 and DAZN, with action getting underway from 17:00 BST.

For those in the United States, the game will also be available to stream for free on DAZN from 12:00 EDT.

You can find full global TV listings for the matchday one encounter in the FIFA Club World Cup HERE!

City Xtra will have full live coverage available on our X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram channels throughout match-day one of the Club World Cup, with content also provided on cityxtra.co.uk and YouTube!