Man City are currently preparing for their first match of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Pep Guardiola’s men take on Wydad AC on Wednesday in Philadelphia to kick off their campaign as part of Group G, which also contains Al Ain and Juventus.
It remains to be seen how seriously the Man City boss takes the competition, as it was reported ahead of the tournament that there was tension between Guardiola and the Premier League club’s hierarchy as a result of the Spaniard not being too bothered about the summer tournament.
The Club World Cup gives the legendary coach the chance to see his new signings in action before the Premier League gets underway in August, but for the club’s board, the tournament is a lot more serious than that.
Pep Guardiola with the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023.
Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Man City want to use the FIFA Club World Cup to grow their brand
With Man City one of two Premier League teams competing in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, this gives the Manchester club a unique opportunity to grow their brand, while also winning a large cash prize not on offer to the likes of Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal.
According to The Athletic’s Adam Crafton, both these reasons are why City’s board view the tournament in the United States as being very important, while it also gives Guardiola the chance to assess his Man City squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
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“So I guess it’s a chance for Pep Guardiola to reset. We’ve seen he’s almost completely cleared out his coaching staff and brought in a raft of new backroom assistants, Pep Lijnders, who was at Liverpool previously. There are other ones that I’m sure Jordan will talk about as well,” Crafton said on The Athletic FC Podcast.
“But City do seem into this. They have been trying really hard over the last few years to push their brand. In the United States, we know they have this multi-club model.
“They’ve got a team in New York, New York City, they often go on tour here. A bit like PSG, City’s merch is quite lifestyle as a brand, and you do see a lot of it. Walking around the States, I’ve been living here over a year now.
“I do see more Man City merch and more City apparel than I see from quite a few other Premier League teams. I probably include Man United in that, in terms of who I see more of. City are growing here, they are keen on it.”
The journalist’s observation is a good one, as only two Premier League clubs are ahead of Man City when it comes to shirt sales in the United States.
Premier League shirt sales in America
Man City’s success over the last decade and a half will have drawn more fans towards the Manchester club, as supporters who have the option to pick their team are often drawn to the best team in the Premier League at the time they begin watching the English top flight.
According to Soccer.com via GOAL, only Liverpool and Chelsea are ahead of Man City when it comes to shirt sales in the United States, with the latest data collected between August 2024 and January 2025.
When it comes to players on the back of these jerseys, City’s Erling Haaland is second on the list, with only Chelsea’s Cole Palmer ahead of the Norwegian superstar in popularity.
This is huge data for those at the Manchester club, as they are ahead of both Man United and Arsenal, while Haaland is higher than the likes of Mohamed Salah, Bruno Fernandes, and Bukayo Saka.