After Man City’s shock defeat to Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola didn’t hide how he felt. “It’s time to rest for our bodies and our minds,” he said, reflecting on a wild game that saw City take 30 shots but somehow still come out on the wrong end of a 4–3 scoreline.
Now, all focus turns to recharging and getting ready to go again when the new season rolls around.
"We have to be clinical and score in the end," Guardiola stated. We created a lot in the first half, but we were unable to complete it, and they did not. I sensed that we could make it through. We let them make changes, but we produced a lot. Unfortunately, we have been at a good position and on an amazing adventure together [here].
The atmosphere was excellent, and I want to express my gratitude to Manchester City and the players in particular for their training and performance.
Since it only occurs here every four years, we would have wanted to have continued. We thought the squad was performing well, but now that we are home, it is time to recuperate both mentally and physically in preparation for the upcoming season. "It is too early to say," he replied when asked if he had witnessed enough to be certain that City would have a better season in 2025–2026.
However, I have seen a lot of positive things in the past that I did not notice [recently]. Our staff's standards and the players' bond with our captain, Silva, were very helpful. The training sessions have been excellent, and I thought we were content here.
But there is a lot of talent in Al-Hilal. Even though I have a strong view of them, we [still] played a solid game. They are a complete team that can run and run.
Silva, City's new captain, had put them ahead, but Al-Hilal reclaimed the lead thanks to Leonardo and Malcolm, and Erling Haaland forced extra time. Phil Foden and Kalidou Koulibaly both scored goals until Leonardo came through with a late winner to advance the Saudi team.
The City defense was questionable the entire time, but Ederson, the goalie, was responsible for at least two of the goals.
Real Madrid, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Monterrey are still in the last-16 pot to round out the quarterfinal lineup, while Chelsea, the Premier League's only representatives at the Club World Cup, will play Palmeiras this weekend.
Al-Hilal will now play Fluminense, and PSG will play Bayern Munich.
Even as the sting of defeat lingers, fresh concerns have started to bubble up ones that might actually matter more than just the scoreline. After the loss to Al-Hilal, Pep Guardiola confirmed what many feared: Rodri, only recently back from a long knee injury, had to come off in extra time. Turns out, it wasn’t just fatigue he’s picked up another knock and could be out again.
That small detail says a lot about the deeper issues Pep’s been sounding the alarm over. He didn’t sugarcoat it either. According to him, this revamped Club World Cup format, dropped right into the middle of City’s short summer, might genuinely wreck their next campaign.
The players are shattered. They finished the Premier League late, went deep into Europe, and now this high-intensity knockout football just weeks before preseason even starts. No proper break, no breathing room.
So instead of easing into the summer, City are limping home battered and stretched thin. The timing couldn’t be worse. Guardiola knows it. That’s why he’s leaning hard on his leaders none more so than Bernardo Silva.
Given the captain’s armband this season, the Portuguese playmaker has quietly become the one holding everything together. He’s not the loudest in the room, but he’s steady, calm, and always locked in exactly the kind of presence Pep needs when things start to feel a bit shaky.
Off the pitch, the club’s trying to move fast. They wrapped up a packed June by signing four players: Tijjani Reijnders to give midfield more bite, Rayan Aït-Nouri for added cover down the left, veteran keeper Marcus Bettinelli, and young spark Rayan Cherki.
These aren’t showy buys they’re practical ones. Fresh legs, fresh ideas, and hopefully, some real competition for places in a squad that looked gassed against Al-Hilal.
But that’s only half the plan. The other side? Clearing the decks. Reports suggest as many as 17 players could be shown the door either loaned out or sold. That includes fringe names, youth talents who haven’t kicked on, and even some senior players Pep feels may have hit their ceiling.
Ederson, for his part, has laughed off the exit rumors, calling them “fake news,” but you get the sense nobody’s completely safe. Guardiola wants lean, hungry, and sharp not names coasting on past glories.
So yeah, the scoreline hurt. Losing to Al-Hilal in a competition you don’t get to enter often is disappointing. But in truth, the warning signs are much bigger than one result. This looked like a team running on fumes. Key players looked off it. Defenders were a half-step behind all night. The chemistry was patchy. Even the body language felt a bit… drained.
Pep didn’t dodge that reality. His tone after the game wasn’t defensive it was honest. He sees the cracks and knows there’s work to be done before August. City might be champions, but right now, they’re vulnerable. The intensity they usually live on just wasn’t there. The fluidity that makes them unplayable? Missing. The hunger? Flickering.
So, what's next? Rest. Real rest. Not the kind where you post training clips from Mykonos. Pep wants the players home, phones off, feet up, minds clear. He knows that if this team doesn’t reset properly, they’ll get caught cold by rivals already licking their lips. Arsenal are gearing up. Liverpool are reloaded. Tottenham suddenly look like they believe again. There’s no room for sloppiness now.
That loss in Orlando might end up being a blessing. A painful one, sure. But maybe the jolt City needed. If they’d scraped through, the fatigue might’ve stayed hidden. Instead, everything got exposed and that gives Pep a clear map of what needs fixing.
If Rodri can stay fit, if Bernardo can carry this team’s spirit like he has done all summer, and if the new signings settle fast, City can bounce back. But they can’t afford to coast into next season thinking reputation alone will carry them.
What we saw in the Club World Cup wasn’t just a blip. It was a team on the edge, forced to run one more marathon when their legs were already gone. For once, they looked human. And in a game that rarely forgives complacency, that’s a dangerous place to be.
The football world has been reminded: even the best-built machines can overheat. Right now, Manchester City need to cool down, reset, and rebuild or risk watching the rest catch up fast.