Guardiola: Foden will be important to Man City

Pep Guardiola reiterated Phil Foden’s importance to Manchester City after the playmaker’s role in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Wydad AC at the Club World Cup.

Foden scored City’s early opener before setting up Jeremy Doku with an inch-perfect corner late in the first half.

It was the first time the England international has scored since January, with the 25-year-old having endured a difficult 2024-25 season.

Foden finished the game in Philadelphia with a team-leading four shots, three of which were on target, while he also created two chances.

And Guardiola stressed how important Foden, who started centrally alongside new signings Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders, still is to his plans.

“He will be important. Of course, he will be,” Guardiola told DAZN.

“It’s another role, we have a lot of number 10s, we have to adjust many things, but it will be step by step.”

City’s win was marred by a late red card for Rico Lewis, who was sent off for catching Samuel Obeng with a boot to the face, despite winning the ball with a sliding challenge that both players went into.

“He touches the ball,” said a frustrated Guardiola.

“He never had any intention to do it. The referee said his foot was high but it was in the grass, it’s a natural way.

“It doesn’t matter, it is what it is.”

City were hardly free-flowing in the heat at Lincoln Financial Field, though Guardiola was nevertheless satisfied with what he saw.

He added: “That’s why the first game is always a tricky one. We did really well. This is the first step, we will learn from here and the second one will be better.

“The season is too long, but it is important to be here. It’s a lot of humidity, it’s very hot, for the players to be playing in these conditions. We have to understand.”

Guardiola won the previous format of the Club World Cup on four occasions, the joint-most for a manager alongside Carlo Ancelotti.

He lifted the trophy with three different clubs, also a record: with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, with Bayern Munich in 2013 and with Man City in 2023.