City out to prove ourselves during unique Club World Cup challenge, says Guardiola

Club World Cup

Guardiola: Rodri and Stones getting better but won’t start against Al Ain

City face Abu Dhabi-based side Al Ain in our second Group G fixture on Monday at 02:00 (UK) knowing a win could secure qualification to the knockout stages with a game to spare.

The Blues are one of only four European sides to still maintain a 100% record in the Club World Cup, alongside Bayern Munich, Juventus and Red Bull Salzburg.

Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 1-0 by Botafogo while the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter have also dropped points in the early stages of the competition.

Guardiola isn’t surprised to see teams from around the world testing European sides, and says he’s enjoying the matchups between different playing styles and footballing cultures that the Club World Cup has created.

WATCH THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 ON DAZN

Speaking in his pre-match press conference he said: “I love this tournament, how South American teams play with Europe and other continents, you see how they challenge and compete. I admire how they defend.

“You see Boca Juniors, how every single ball is like wow, it’s different styles and ways, it’s really, really good.

“I like how every game is tough, really tough. All the games are so tight, and people go ‘oh the European team lose’, welcome to the real world my friends. They are good, and I like it.

“That is what it is, Brazil have won six World Cups, look at the last three, four, five years Argentina controlling football with winning the World Cup and Copa Americas with Messi, so why shouldn’t we pay attention to how good they are.

“We are here to play against them and prove how we are as a team and try to extend as long as possible in the competition here and prepare for next season.”

Watch the press conference live at the top of the page…

How to follow the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

DAZN will broadcast every minute and every moment from the event, with all 63 matches, live-streamed, free to view on DAZN globally*, and in multiple languages.

If you are already a DAZN subscriber or Freemium member, then the competition is part of your current membership.

To sign up for a free DAZN account now you only need an email address to register, with no hidden costs or fees.

You can then watch all the action on the DAZN App via smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices, game consoles and web browsers.

Join now to start watching for free on DAZN.

Every City match will be covered in full across mancity.com and our official app, with our usual offering of a Matchday Centre and Matchday Live followed by a match report, written and video reaction and highlights from the US.

*DAZN is not currently available in the following territories: Belarus, Cuba, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria