Manchester City Faces Wydad Casablanca in Club World Cup Opener

Manchester, England – Manchester City begins its quest in the FIFA Club World Cup today, facing Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca. The match marks the first time the tournament is held in the United States, with 32 teams competing.

Under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, City features star striker Erling Haaland, who is eager for a strong showing. This is Haaland’s debut in the Club World Cup, having missed the opportunity in December 2023 due to injury.

“I feel ready and excited. This is a big chance for us as a team,” Haaland said. The Norwegian striker, who is also the Premier League’s top scorer, aims to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo‘s record of seven goals in the tournament.

Manchester City is not without challenges. Alongside Haaland, the team relies on key players like Doku and Bernardo Silva in attack, while Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol boost the defense.

Wydad Casablanca enters the tournament with an interim coach, Mohamed Amine Benhachem, following the departure of Rhulani Mokwena in April 2025 due to inconsistent results. Benhachem has since been confirmed as the head coach.

One of Wydad’s standout players is Mohamed Rayhi, who’s scored 11 goals in the last season. Born in the Netherlands to Moroccan parents, Rayhi previously played youth football with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.

The match promises to be competitive with both teams aiming for victory in their first Club World Cup appearance.

Starting lineups are as follows:

Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Reis, Ake, O’Reilly, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Savinho, Doku, Marmoush. Coach: Pep Guardiola.

Wydad Casablanca: E. Benabid, M. Moufid, J. Harkass, A. Boutouil, A. Boucheta, O. Zemraoui, M. Moubarik, Z. Fatihi, Mailula, Rayhi, Obeng. Coach: Mohamed Amine Benhachem.