Manchester City kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a simple and controlled 2-0 victory over Moroccan side Wydad AC.
Phil Foden made history by scoring the earliest goal in the Club World Cup when he arrived at the right time to poke home City’s opener inside two minutes in Philadelphia.
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From there Pep Guardiola’s men had control of the match and maintained possession allowing new midfielder Tijjani Reijnders to shine. He slipped passes in behind the defence, looked to dictate play and linked the forward line together to show he is an able replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.
Jeremy Doku added the second goal on the stroke of half-time by stretching onto a Foden corner and nudging the ball home at the back post.
With two goals to the good, City eased off in the second half but Rico Lewis was controversially sent off late in the game for a sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng which may have consequences for City going forward.
Relive the action with our live blog below and watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up here now.
Manchester City vs Wydad AC live
- Manchester City defeat Wydad AC in their opening Club World Cup game
- 88' RED CARD! Rico Lewis dismissed for tackle on Samuel Obeng (MCI 2-0 WAC)
- 42' GOAL! Doku doubles City's lead before the break (MCI 2-0 WAC)
- 38' SAVE! Foden's effort is kept out by Benabid (MCI 1-0 WAC)
- 2' GOAL! Foden opens the scoring and sets the tone for City (MCI 1-0 WAC)
Manchester City start Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win over Wydad AC
19:35 , Mike JonesThe late sending off of Rico Lewis marred a comfortable victory for Manchester City in their Club World Cup opener on Wednesday.
Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku at each end of the first half proved enough as City saw off Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in Philadelphia.
But the Group G encounter ended on a sour note for the Premier League outfit as Lewis was shown a straight red card for catching an opponent in the face in a challenge two minutes from time.
Manchester City start Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win over Wydad AC
Rico Lewis challenge a ‘definite red card’ claims John Obi Mikel
19:28 , Mike JonesJohn Obi Mikel claims Rico Lewis’s dismissal against Wydad AC in Manchester City’s Club World Cup opener was a ‘definite red card’ despite the dubious nature of the challenge.
Lewis was sent off in the 88th minute after a sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng.
The rather bizarre occurance saw the Man City defender and Wydad forward both slide in to challenge for a loose ball with Lewis winning the race and clearing the danger.
Rico Lewis challenge a ‘definite red card’ claims John Obi Mikel
Next up for City
19:06 , Mike JonesManchester City face Al Ain of the UAE on Monday at 2am BST and Juventus on Thursday at 8pm.
Two wins from those games and City will cruise out of Group G.
Full-time! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
19:00 , Mike JonesThe whistle goes to end this match.
Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku give Manchester City a deserved three points and there was plenty of time on the pitch for new signing Tijjani Reijnders.
The main talking point will be the late red card for Rico Lewis.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:56 , Mike Jones90+3 mins: There’s going to be six minutes of added time to play in Philadelphia.
Half of that has gone already. The major talking point will be Lewis’s red card.
Callum Wilson doesn’t think that tackle should have result in a dismissal.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:54 , Mike Jones90 mins: Rico Lewis will now be suspended for City’s next games. Pep Guardiola isn’t pleased on the sidelines at all.
Matheus Nunes is brought on to replace Savinho as Wydad win a free kick.
RED CARD! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:53 , Mike Jones88 mins: Rico Lewis is sent off!
He slides into a tackle and wins the ball.
As he clears it Obeng slides into the challenge too and Lewis’s legs rise off the ground as the Wydad man slips under him.
Lewis’s right boot clatters into Obeng’s chin but the referee thinks that is dangerous.
The Man City man has to depart the pitch.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:49 , Mike Jones85 mins: Manchester City will move to the top of their group after this win.
A small consolation for Wydad is that City haven’t scored in the second half.
They’ve become more secure and Wydad haven’t had any counter attacking opportunities either.
Guardiola is managing the fitness of his players and doesn’t want to make this match too tasking for them.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:47 , Mike Jones82 mins: Wydad are trying to press and win back the ball but Man City are toying with them.
It’s so easy for Pep Guardiola’s men to control possession.
This is a major issue with the Club World Cup. The different leagues around the world aren’t up to the same level.
Europe and South American teams will dominate this tournament which makes it a bloated mess.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:40 , Mike Jones76 mins: Rodri attempts to play Oscar Bobb into the right side of the penalty area.
He flicks forward the pass but gets the weight of it wrong and the ball rolls out of play for a goal kick.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:38 , Mike Jones73 mins: Close!
Erling Haaland receives the ball on the edge of the box. He checks inside of Adbelmounaim Boutouil and fizzes a left-footed shot over the crossbar.
That’s a chance for a striker of his quality.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:35 , Mike Jones70 mins: 20 minutes to play here.
City are acting as though this is a training ground outing now.
They’re maintaining possession have completed more than double the passes Wydad have.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:29 , Mike Jones65 mins: Manchester City will want to get quite far in this tournament despite the imposition it is on their pre-season.
Pep Guardiola will need to get his players up to match fitness and try to keep them fresh as well.
Rodri will get a workout in the heat of Philadelphia.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:25 , Mike Jones60 mins: An hour played in Philadelphia and still Manchester City look like they’re cruising through this match.
Rodri has come on to play alongside Tijjani Reijnders. Wull this partnership give us a sign for how Pep Guardiola wants to play next season?
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:22 , Mike Jones57 mins: Pep Guardiola makes a triple change now with Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb and Rodri all brought on.
They replace Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:20 , Mike Jones54 mins: Manchester City have control of this game.
There’s been a couple of fleeting efforts from Wydad but only two have been on target in the whole match.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:13 , Mike Jones51 mins: At the break Wydad brought on Mohamed Rayhi for the booked Cassius Mailula.
Rayhi tends to play out wide and will look to probe the City full-backs.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:11 , Mike Jones48 mins: Amrabat curls a cross into the box but is met by Vitor Reis clearing the danger.
Mohamed Moufid shoots wide from a long way out.
Second half! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
18:08 , Mike JonesWydad get the ball rolling again for the second half.
A long ball goes forward towards Amrabat but the ball bounces out for a Man City throw in.
Man City coach Kolo Toure, speaking to Channel 5:
18:03 , Mike Jones"Always important to score an early goal.
"A team with five at the back is hard to break them down. We controlled the game after.
“They had a few counter-attacks, but we defended really well."
'A fantastic finish from Foden'
18:01 , Mike JonesNewcastle striker, Callum Wilson spoke on Channel 5 and praised Foden’s first goal.
“A fantastic finish for Phil Foden. He drifts in and it's a fantastic first time finish.”
Half-time! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
17:50 , Mike Jones45+3 mins: So far so good for Manchester City.
They’re two goals up without much to trouble them.
Wydad have had a couple of decent chances on the counter attack but if City can close those opportunities down they should cruise to victory here.
Man City 2-0 Wydad AC
17:48 , Mike Jones45 mins: That goal now gives Man City a cushion in this match.
That should be enough for them to go on and win the game but they’ll want more goals in the second half.
Three minutes of added time to play.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC (Jeremy Doku, 42')
17:44 , Mike JonesBoom!
Phil Foden swings the corner kick over towards the back post where Jeremy Doku squeezes ahead of his marker and sticks out a leg.
He meets the ball on the volley and pokes it into the back of the net.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:43 , Mike Jones41 mins: Cherki gives the ball away only for Reijnders to recover it quickly high up the pitch.
The new signing has started brilliantly in a City shirt.
Savinho collects the ball on the right and weaves into the box where he wins a corner.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:40 , Mike Jones38 mins: Save!
City sweep down the left wing with Cherki coming inside on the underlap.
He is given the ball by Doku before slotting a square pass into the feet of Phil Foden.
Foden shoots but El Mehdi Benabid drops low to his left and smothers the effort.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:38 , Mike Jones35 mins: Manchester City are dominating possession but there’s no way in behind for them when Wydad set up in their low block.
There’s things to work on for Pep Guardiola’s men but the manager will be happy so far.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:34 , Mike Jones32 mins: Amrabat sends the ball over the top and gets Thembinkosi Lorch in on goal.
That’s because Vitor Reis fumbles his first touch and gives the ball to the forward.
Lorch moves into the box then rolls a pass to El Mehdi Moubarik whose effort is charged down by Ederson!
Big save.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:33 , Mike Jones29 mins: Hello!
Marmoush drops back to receive the ball and looks up at goal from 25 yards out.
He takes a touch then shoots and hooks his effort just wide of the nearest post.
City are keen on getting that second goal.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:28 , Mike Jones26 mins: Oh! Tijjani Reijnders receives the ball from Phil Foden and slips a threaded pass into the box.
Jeremy Doku makes a run past the last defender but an outstretched leg pokes the ball out for a corner before he can reach it.
The corner is dealt with by El Mehdi Benabid.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:25 , Mike Jones23 mins: Wydad are going to find things tough going from here on in.
Manchester City’s opening goal means the Moroccan side are going to need to push forward which will leave space in behind the defence for City’s wingers to go at them.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:23 , Mike Jones20 mins: Man City win themselves a corner that gets whipped into the penalty area by Omar Marmoush.
The delivery is perfectly set up for Nathan Ake who leaps and powers a header across goal.
The effort is just off target and bobbles wide of the far post. Close chance.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:18 , Will Castle17 mins: First yellow card of the match as Mailula catches Savinho high. Free-kick in a dangerous position for City.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:18 , Will Castle15 mins: You know what, it was worth a crack! Lorch spots Ederson off his line and goes for an audacious lob from inside his own half.
Ederson is back-peddling but manages to get back to keep the on-target effort out.
That would have been ICONIC.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:16 , Will Castle12 mins: A quick note that Wydad’s captain is Nordin Amrabat, formerly of Watford. Probably the only recognisable name on the Wydad team sheet.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:14 , Will Castle11 mins: CHANCE! Wydad so nearly punish City on the counter!
Moufid drives forward and tries laying it into the path of the oncoming Lorch who gets in behind, but it goes agonisingly beyond him and through to Amrabat, who can’t keep the chance alive.
What an opportunity to equalise.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:11 , Will Castle9 mins: CLOSE! Marmoush shoots across the goalkeeper but his effort goes millimetres past the post.
Wydad have responded well since going a goal down and have managed to tick it about in the City half - but every time Guardiola’s side come forward, they look like scoring.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:09 , Will Castle6 mins: Wydad’s travelling faithful had started in full voice before the early goal, but they have continued to make the most noise out of the two fanbases, despite the fact much of the stands is coloured light blue.
Man City 1-0 Wydad AC
17:05 , Will Castle3 mins: One minute and 54 seconds that took. The fastest goal in Club World Cup history.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Wydad AC (Foden, 2')
17:04 , Will CastleThat didn’t take long!
Phil Foden scores his first goal in 20 games as he knocks in the rebound from Savinho’s shot.
This could be a long afternoon for Wydad.
KICK-OFF! Man City 0-0 Wydad AC
17:02 , Will CastleWe’re off in Philly!
T-minus five minutes until kick-off!
16:55 , Will CastleJust five minutes until Man City kicks off their bid to become the first ever Club World Cup champions!
Will they follow the suit of fellow European giants and cruise to an opening victory? Or can Moroccan outfit Wydad AC pull of the shock of the tournament so far?
We’ll have minute-by-minute updates from Philadelphia, next.
Where the Club World Cup will be won and lost – and why it matters more than you think
16:50 , Miguel DelaneyIt was on a call with Fifa and Club World Cup rivals that Manchester City’s Ferran Soriano was willing to reveal some of the team’s inner workings.
As long ago as August, City’s chief executive revealed how Pep Guardiola’s staff had been working on their physical programme to ensure the squad would be ready for the tournament in the United States. Such changes might have been a factor in City’s underwhelming season, but the Club World Cup might change perceptions. An entire year may have been building to this.
For Florentino Perez, it’s a lifetime’s work. The Real Madrid president never got his Super League, but this is viewed as something similar, at least in terms of legacy, and it may be an elegant historical echo.
Read more:
Where the Club World Cup will be won and lost, and why it matters more than you think
Man City enter a new era at Club World Cup and two arrivals hold the key
16:45 , Richard JollyIn December, Real Madrid won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup. The implications for Manchester City were indirect but it does mean that, on a technicality, they enter the Club World Cup as defending champions. An expanded competition can seem a new one: under the old format, the last final – officially, anyway, given Real’s win over Pachuca came in a rebranded competition – was City’s 4-0 walloping of Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.
It was City’s fifth trophy of 2023. It is not the only reason it feels like a different time. One of the goals came from Phil Foden, then on fire. Julian Alvarez bookended the scoring with a brace, but he now leads the line for Atletico Madrid. The silverware was lifted by Kyle Walker, but the captain isn’t even part of the squad City are taking to the United States after spending the second half of the season on loan at AC Milan. Jack Grealish, who started against Fluminense, didn’t make the plane this summer either.
Whatever the competition is called, there was the sense that, 18 months ago, City were entitled to call themselves the world’s best. Hindsight shows it was one of the last triumphs of a team; they won that season’s Premier League but even men as perceptive as Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain failed to notice the evidence of decline until it was too late.
Read more:
Man City enter a new era at Club World Cup and two arrivals hold the key
How Infantino embraced Trump and the Club World Cup as a political football
16:41 , Miguel DelaneyAs Fifa put in final preparations for the big show to try and dazzle America, something is increasingly being said behind closed doors. Figures within the federation openly talk about how the new Club World Cup will quickly become a biannual tournament, rather than every four years. Despite sources telling The Independent that this is an “open secret”, Uefa is adamant it will stay at four. They state they have an agreement. It is not, crucially, a legal agreement.
The difference in viewpoints is just the latest schism in a build-up that has caused more fractious football politics than any tournament in history. That goes right up to an actual legal challenge against Fifa from the players’ union FIFPro. Senior Uefa figures, including president Aleksander Ceferin, are said to barely be able to discuss the Club World Cup without spitting.
It might yet cause greater upheaval for the future of the game, since the competition almost serves as a nexus for its major forces: from the super clubs to Saudi Arabia.
Read more:
How Infantino embraced Trump and the Club World Cup as a political football
Why are Liverpool not playing in the Club World Cup 2025 and how did Chelsea and Man City qualify?
16:34 , Will CastleThere are 32 of the best teams from across the globe playing in the Club World Cup over the coming weeks - but Premier League champions Liverpool won’t be one of them.
Ella Witcher explains why:
Pep Guardiola changes captaincy rules and drops major hint on new Man City skipper
16:28 , Will CastleBernardo Silva has confirmed he will stay at Manchester City for the coming season – and he looks set to wear the captain’s armband.
The Portugal midfielder is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move this summer after eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal were reportedly among the clubs interested in the 30-year-old but he has decided to reject any overtures to remain with City.
Pep Guardiola changes captaincy rules and drops major hint on new Man City skipper
Tonight's debutants
16:21 , Will CastleTijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both make their Man City debuts tonight after completing their arrivals on “deadline day” last week.
Rayan Ait-Nouri starts on the bench.
Pep Guardiola sends message to Jack Grealish as Man City winger watches Club World Cup from afar
16:18 , Will CastlePep Guardiola has told Jack Grealish to find somewhere to play after his lack of minutes at Manchester City over the past two years.
Grealish made only seven Premier League starts last season despite being fit and available for much of the campaign, and was left out of City’s 27-player squad for this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States. The 27-year-old England international has instead been on holiday, although his social media posts suggest he is also working on his fitness ahead of next season.
“He had a conversation with the club and decided the best (thing was to miss the tournament),” he said. “Jack is an exceptional player but he didn’t (play a lot this season). We decided he has to play.”
Pep Guardiola sends message to Jack Grealish as City winger watches Club World Cup
Fifa defends Club World Cup ticket sales after another low turnout
16:15 , Will CastleFifa has defended the progress of ticket sales for the Club World Cup after another low turnout for a group stage game on Tuesday evening.
Just 3,412 people attended the match in Orlando between Ulsan HD of South Korea and South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, after 22,317 watched Chelsea’s opening game against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, in a stadium which can hold up to 71,000 people.
The competition has been controversial since its inception and has triggered legal action from domestic leagues and player unions against Fifa over what they see as a lack of consultation by the global governing body over fixture decisions.
Club World Cup results so far
16:11 , Will CastleSaturday, June 14
Group A: Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami
Sunday, June 15
Group C: Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Group A: Palmeiras 0-0 Porto
Group B: Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders
Monday, June 16
Group C: Chelsea 2-0 LAFC
Group D: Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
Group C: Flamengo 2-0 Espérance de Tunis
Tuesday, June 17
Group F: Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund
Group E River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds
Group F: Ulsan HD 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Group E: Monterrey 1-1 Inter Milan
How to watch the Club World Cup
16:08 , Will CastleDAZN will be broadcasting each match of the tournament live, from the opener up to and including the final, for free in the UK.
All users can watch a live stream on television and mobile devices, all they need to do is sign up for the company’s DAZN Freemium service, with the option to watch ad-free coverage for £14.99.
Users can watch DAZN from anywhere by using the DAZN App on TVs, smartphones and any device with a web browser.
The streaming service has hired several footballing legends as part of it’s coverage team, with Ronaldo Nazario, Claude Makelele, Sami Khedira, John Obi Mikel and Christian Vieri among the former players to feature on the punditry line-up, alongside Shay Given and Premier League striker Callum Wilson.
Ade Oladipo, Kelly Somers and Olivia Buzaglo will act as hosts for the coverage alongside former Football Italia presenter James Richardson.
And Conor McNamara will head the commentary team, with former Premier League players Andros Townsend, Michael Brown, Brad Friedel, Rob Green and Danny Higginbotham among the notable co-commentators.
When and where is Man City vs Wydad AC?
16:05 , Will CastleManchester City face Wydad at midday ET in Philadelphia on Wednesday, June 18. That is 5pm BST.
The match will take place at Lincoln Financial Field, which is the home of NFL outfit Philadelphia Eagles, and holds just shy of 68,000.
Team news
16:03 , Will CastleMan City XI: Ederson; Lewis, O'Reilly, Vitor Reis, Ake; Reijnders; Savio, Foden Cherki, Doku; Marmoush.
Wydad AC XI: Benabid; Moufid, Moufi, Boutouil, Meijers, Ferreira; Amrabat, Zemraoui, El Moubarik, Lorch; Mailula.
Man City vs Wydad AC LIVE!
15:59 , Will CastleGood afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Manchester City’s Club World Cup opener against Wydad AC.
Pep Guardiola will be keen to see what new signings Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Rayan Cherki can bring to the team after the club forked out £108m to bring all three of them in at the start of the transfer window.
City’s rebuild following the exit of Kevin de Bruyne means there is no place in the squad for Jack Grealish who is also rumoured to be on the verge of an exit this summer. Bernardo Silva is set to captain the team having seemingly committed his future to the club.
Wydad AC finished third in the Botola Pro 1 league in Morocco but should prove to be no challenge for City if the Premier League side are up to match fitness.
Stay tuned for all the build-up and team news prior to kick-off.
