Ilkay Gundogan will lead Manchester City into the unknown at the Fifa Club World Cup, and he cannot wait to get started.
Having won all there is to win in European club football, Gundogan will be part of Pep Guardiola's new-look, younger squad in the United States.
City have left behind Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips and James McAtee in England with all four players made available for transfer.
With Kevin De Bruyne having already departed for Italian champions Napoli, it leaves the door open for the likes of summer signings Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki to make an immediate impact at City. It does, however, leave a vacuum in terms of the "leadership" group. Despite reports of a move to Turkey, Gundogan will travel as one of the squad's most senior and experienced players.
City open their potentially lucrative campaign – the winners of the competition could pocket up to $125 million – against Moroccan side Wydad at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Field on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what to expect,” said Gundogan. “It’s a brand new competition in this format. It’s difficult to get a feeling for it. I guess it’s going to be a bit like the Euros or the World Cup, but we will see how it works out in terms of organisation and travelling.
“To be honest, new things are always a little bit exciting, so I am looking forward to it. I feel like football is getting more interesting around the world.
“It is getting more popular and it is not a coincidence that this Club World Cup is happening in the United States, where the next World Cup will also be next summer.
“Maybe it will serve as something of a test run, but it also shows that in a country where football was never really a priority or a huge sport, there is a growth in popularity. Having Lionel Messi playing here helps, too, I am sure, as does the fact that the MLS is getting stronger.
“The CWC will give teams from smaller nations a big platform. When else would you get cubs from different continents playing one another? In our group, for instance, we have Wydad from Morocco – when else would they get the chance to play against a team like Manchester City?
"It is kind of a cross over and that makes it exciting. There will be lots of different styles of play on show, different tactics, and it should make it exciting for spectators.”
City are the defending world champions having won the previous edition in 2023. That tournament, in Saudi Arabia, was held under Fifa's old format of pitting only continental champions against each other. With the 2025 tournament expanded to 32 teams, consisting of eight groups of four which produce a knockout tournament of the top 16, promises to be very different.
Clubs will no doubt use the competition to blood new faces and formations and try out youngsters. There will also be one eye on business, a fact not lost on Gundogan.
“For individuals, this will also be a way of being scouted,” he said. “Some players may get big moves out of it as they do from a World Cup. We have seen it in the past. It is a stage on which to shine and present yourself. Though, of course, the team's success should always be the focus.”
A veteran of multiple World Cups and European Championships stretching back 13 years, Gundogan is well-versed in how tournament play differs from the daily grind of domestic league football.
“We have a lot of players in our squad who are experienced in tournament football, but those who haven’t will look up to the experienced ones like myself to help them,” he said.
“They will need guidelines. They will need to behave in a certain way, not just on the pitch but in preparation and training sessions. Even in downtime. Communication is the key, particularly on the pitch.
“Sometimes in these types of competitions, it is important to know when to take it easy and not overcomplicate things. It is a different rhythm.
“If you lose your first game you are immediately under pressure, but this is what young players have to cope with, especially if they want to reach the top.
“You have to be able to deal with it. It is important that our most experienced players are here and present and available to pass on advice.
“There seems to be a trend at the moment in football where people are saying this player is too old or another one cannot run anymore, but we always have had this in football.
“You need experienced players on the pitch. I know that when I was 18 or 19, I was looking up to those experienced players. Just by watching what they did – and how they did it – I learnt. It wasn’t always necessary for them to say anything.
“All young players need some experience around them. Sometimes you don’t have to work harder but work smarter."
City’s potential path to glory sees them face the UAE's most decorated club, Al Ain, on June 23 in Atlanta. They finish their Group G campaign against Italian giants Juventus in Orlando on June 26. The top two in Group G will progress to the last 16.
It may also be the last time some of the City stars appear for the club, with new director of football Hugo Viana happy to listen to bids for some of them as he seeks further reinforcements, most notably a specialised right-back, when the transfer window reopens.
