Pep Guardiola reveals whether he wants to manage Manchester City at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Manchester City may still have Pep Guardiola as the club’s manager at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, regardless of his longer-term plans.

The Premier League champions secured qualification for the newly-expanded tournament hosted by the United States through their UEFA Champions League success at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Having gone on to claim the FIFA Club World Cup title for the first time in the club’s history in December 2023, Manchester City also earned the right to boast the golden winners’ badges on their three kits for the last campaign.

However, with no winter edition of the tournament this year following Real Madrid’s Champions League success over Borussia Dortmund in the recent Wembley final, Manchester City lodged a request to the Premier League to retain their badges for the new season.

Having seen that request approved, the Etihad Stadium club will boast their status on all four of their new shirts. But it remains to be seen whether Pep Guardiola will be around at the club to help defend their title at the new competition next summer.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in New York City on Friday night, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether he wants to remain as City manager for the club’s next visit Stateside beyond their ongoing pre-season tour.

“I would love to, I would love to. Yeah, yeah, I would love to. Yeah, yeah,” Pep Guardiola insisted on the subject of his status as Manchester City manager at the upcoming 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.

He continued, “I don’t know if it’s going to be played because I know the mess about FIFA and the clubs, or whatever, because everyone defends its position, his tournaments.

“But if at the end, like apparently it’s going to happen, it’s going to be played, I would love to, yeah.”

Pep Guardiola’s current Manchester City contract runs until the end of the upcoming 2024/25 season, meaning that as things stand, he would be out of contract when the club jets off to the United States for their Club World Cup duties.

But there is plenty of reason to be hopeful around Pep Guardiola’s longer-term Manchester City future in light of his recent comments on his contract, speaking to reporters in New York City this week ahead of the club’s pre-season clash with AC Milan at Yankee Stadium.

“When I’m leaving, I will say I’m leaving,” Guardiola responded to questions on his future. “But I didn’t say that (in comments at the end of last season)… We will see what happens. But I will not rule it out absolutely to extend my contract. I would love to stay.”