Manchester City’s quest for global dominance took an unexpected turn at the FIFA Club World Cup, where their hopes of lifting yet another trophy were shattered in a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. But for Pep Guardiola, the heartbreak went far beyond the final scoreline.
City entered the tournament as clear favourites and looked the part early in the match, taking the lead through Bernardo Silva, despite a brief VAR scare. Dominating possession and peppering the Al-Hilal goal, Erling Haaland, Savinho, and Jeremy Doku all came close to doubling the lead, only to be denied repeatedly by a brilliant Yassine Bounou.
The second half, however, flipped the script. The Saudi side equalized and then stunned City with a second goal within minutes of the restart. While Haaland quickly responded with an equalizer, City’s defensive frailties were exposed again in extra time, where Kalidou Koulibaly and Marcos Leonardo completed a historic comeback for the Saudi side.
But beyond the scoreboard, the Spanish boss’ bigger concern was taking shape quietly on the sidelines.
The setback that stung the most
Amid the chaos, one of Guardiola’s key players suffered a major blow. The midfielder, whose return from a serious knee injury had been seen as a cornerstone of City’s summer revival, came on in the 53rd minute but lasted just 47 minutes before being withdrawn in visible discomfort.
The man in question was finally revealed to be Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner and arguably the heartbeat of Manchester City’s midfield. He had spent nearly nine months recovering from a devastating ACL and meniscus injury sustained the previous September in a Premier League clash with Arsenal. His recovery had been cautious, his minutes limited, but this Club World Cup was meant to mark the beginning of his full return.
“We have to see Rodri,” Guardiola admitted in the post-match press conference. “He complained about his situation again. We need time for many players to come back.”
What this means for City
Rodri’s absence was glaring. Without his calming presence and tactical awareness in midfield, City struggled to control the game in key moments, particularly as fatigue set in during extra time. Guardiola acknowledged that Al-Hilal’s ability to “run and run” outmatched City, and it was evident that the Spanish midfielder’s leadership was sorely missed.
This latest setback raises serious questions about City’s readiness for the 2025-26 campaign, which kicks off in just six weeks against Wolves. Guardiola’s squad is already stretched thin in midfield, with Mateo Kovacic ruled out for three months following Achilles surgery, and Rodri now a doubt for the start of the season.
“It is too early to say,” Guardiola remarked when asked about City’s title chances next season. “But there have been so many good things I did not see in the past. The training sessions have been really good. Still, Al-Hilal has a lot of quality.”
