Manchester City secured their place in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stages with a dominant 6-0 victory over Al Ain in Atlanta on June 22, 2025. The win, achieved in their second Group G match, guarantees City's progression to the next round with a game to spare.
From the kickoff, City asserted their dominance. Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a chipped shot. While some speculated whether it was an intentional finish or a misdirected cross, the ball sailed over Al Ain's goalkeeper Khalid Eisa and into the net. Al Ain briefly threatened with a counter-attack, but Stefan Ortega Moreno, City's goalkeeper, made a crucial save to deny Nassim Chadli.
City continued to control possession and create opportunities. New signing Rayan Ait-Nouri almost marked his debut with a memorable solo goal, but he lost his footing at the crucial moment. However, City's second goal arrived before the half-hour mark when Claudio Echeverri, making his first start for the club, scored with a free-kick. Erling Haaland then added a third from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Manuel Akanji was fouled.
The second half saw City maintain their attacking intent. Matheus Nunes volleyed wide and Haaland was twice denied by Eisa. Al Ain also missed a chance to pull a goal back when Chadli fired over. City's pressure eventually paid off, with Gundogan scoring his second goal of the match in the 73rd minute, following a clever run and pass from Bernardo Silva. Substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki then completed the rout with late goals.
The victory means Manchester City now sit second in Group G, just one goal behind Juventus. Topping the group requires them to beat Juventus in Orlando on Thursday.
The match also saw debuts for new signings, including Ait-Nouri, who earned praise from manager Pep Guardiola. The City manager said: "We knew it! A talent, with the final third a lot of talent, defensively, he can play outside, he can play inside, and in the final third he's so clever! Really good!".
The atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was vibrant, with a strong contingent of City fans making their presence felt. Midfielder Nico expressed his delight at the support, saying, "To be honest, I felt like we were playing (at) home. There were so many City fans, which is really nice, playing abroad and feeling home. It's incredible."
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup marks the first edition of the expanded 32-team format, held in the United States from June 14 to July 13. Manchester City qualified for the tournament by winning the 2022/23 Champions League and enter as defending champions from the previous format in 2023.
