Club World Cup updates, odds: If Man City are to win, they need Foden at his best

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is disconnected and running, with plentifulness of talking points and storylines already. Let's get you caught up with what's happening today, what you've missed and what's inactive to come.

We volition update this record passim each matchday with the latest reporting, investigation and amusive from the competition, truthful bash cheque backmost regularly for the latest quality arsenic we travel the amusive each the mode up to the tournament final astatine MetLife Stadium connected July 13.

The lead: Man City request Foden to beryllium astatine his best

PHILADELPHIA -- Pep Guardiola arrived astatine the Club World Cup telling his Manchester City players to hide astir past season, and itt's a connection that volition person been directed astatine Phil Foden, successful particular.

The England midfielder was voted arsenic the Premier League's champion subordinate successful May 2024. Fast-forward a twelvemonth and helium could hardly get a crippled for City. Picked to commencement against Wydad AC successful their Group G opener, Foden scored City's archetypal extremity of the tourney wrong 2 minutes. It's the archetypal clip he's recovered the nett for nine oregon state since January -- a statistic that tells its ain communicative astir however hard the 25-year-old has recovered the past fewer months.

As precocious arsenic past month, Foden told reporters helium was burnt out, which was besides the crushed helium decided to skip England's World Cup qualifiers successful June. Guardiola tin lone anticipation that the other remainder has done him bully and that a extremity against Wydad -- guided into the nett aft Savinho's transverse was parried backmost into the punishment country -- volition footwear commencement a resurgence.

If Foden tin instrumentality to his 2023-24 levels, erstwhile helium scored 27 goals successful each competitions, past City could again go the Premier League's squad to beat.

Rayan Cherki has arrived from Lyon this summertime successful the pre-tournament transportation model and has already been forced to reply questions astir whether he's the replacement for Kevin De Bruyne. For Guardiola, though, Foden is apt to beryllium considered arsenic a much apt successor.

Guardiola had to bash without De Bruyne for much than fractional of the 2023-24 run due to the fact that of wounded and it was Foden who stepped up arsenic City claimed a 4th rubric successful a row. When Foden scored aft conscionable 113 seconds, it looked similar Wydad AC mightiness beryllium connected the extremity of the benignant of people we saw implicit the play betwixt Bayern Munich and Auckland City. But it was to the Moroccan side's recognition that they caused City problems connected the interruption -- peculiarly during the mediate play of the archetypal half.

It was partially down to the gait of Wydad's South African guardant Thembinkosi Lorch, but besides due to the fact that of Guardiola's ultra-attacking team. Foden, Cherki, Omar Marmoush, Jérémy Doku and Savinho were each crammed into the starting XI. It near Tijjani Reijnders to marque his City debut arsenic the deepest-lying midfielder adjacent though helium arrived from Milan talking astir being a goalscoring No.8. A young backmost 4 that included Vitor Reis (19), Rico Lewis (20) and Nico O'Reilly (20) had immoderate tense moments earlier Doku made it 2-0 conscionable earlier half-time.

The extremity knocked the vigor retired of Wydad and the 2nd fractional was comfy for City, though the scoreline didn't deter the Moroccan fans. The artifact of reddish down the extremity bounced and chanted, led by a drummer who didn't halt each afternoon. At 1 constituent successful the 2nd fractional the crippled had to beryllium paused aft fume bombs were fto off. It gave the crippled a World Cup ambiance arsenic City kicked disconnected their run with a win.

The lone downside for Guardiola was a precocious reddish paper for Lewis, contempt appearing to triumph the shot archetypal earlier clattering into Samuel Obeng. -- Rob Dawson

Today's apical Club World Cup news

• Al Hilal CEO: Signing Ronaldo would person been "unusual"
• New Chelsea signing Sarr: I privation to beryllium Chelsea's van Dijk
• Man City unfastened Club World Cup with a win

Sights and sounds astir FIFA Club World Cup

Andrada oregon Mele? Monterrey's goalkeeping dilemma

LOS ANGELES -- Esteban Andrada arrived astatine the Club World Cup with 1 ft retired of the club, but helium had his redemption lucifer against UEFA Champions League runner-up Inter Milan arsenic the Liga MX broadside earned a precise credible 1-1 gully to statesman their Group E campaign.

Andrada's mistakes and deficiency of assurance saw him benched down the agelong successful Liga MX, which prompted Monterrey to question reinforcements successful the peculiar pre-Club World Cup transportation window. They signed Uruguayan planetary Santiago Mele, who arrived successful Los Angeles connected Monday afternoon, but helium was not considered for the match. In the end, Andrada was a unit betwixt the posts, making 1 large prevention and commanding his punishment country good against an onslaught of Inter shots, the Serie A broadside managing 15 shots for an xG (expected goals) of 2.68.

Coach Domenec Torrent present has an important determination to marque for their adjacent radical game, against Argentine giants River Plate connected Saturday astatine the Rose Bowl successful Pasadena: should helium backmost Andrada to proceed his heroics, oregon volition Mele get an contiguous look arsenic a starter? -- Ricardo Cariño, ESPN Mexico

Wydad AC fans bring the ambiance and vigor successful the Philly heat

PHILADELPHIA -- Empty seats are successful information of becoming a taxable of the Club World Cup, but Wydad's travelling enactment much than made up for the shortfall astatine Lincoln Financial Field connected Wednesday.

The attendance -- which did steadily summation aft kick-off -- was announced arsenic 37,446, conscionable implicit fractional the stadium capableness of 67,594. That represents a tenable instrumentality fixed the midday kick-off and summertime humidity, but regardless, the consciousness of juncture was heightened by the ceaseless sound provided by Wydad's supporters.

Clad successful reddish and gathered down 1 goal, astir 2,000 supporters led the complaint with a pre-match tifo, drum-led chanting and, astatine 1 constituent during the 2nd half, a oversea of reddish flares which dispersed fume and the odor of cordite drifting crossed the confederate Philadelphia air. A fewer individuals went a measurement excessively acold successful throwing flares onto the transportation -- prompting boos from City supporters -- but wide FIFA volition beryllium grateful for the colour Wydad's ultras provided contempt watching their squad suffer 2-0.

FIFA owes thing of a indebtedness to Morocco successful this regard. Amid fears of bare stadia during the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, Morocco supporters descended connected the Gulf authorities successful their thousands to battalion retired arenas during the competition. What a boost it volition beryllium for FIFA and president Gianni Infantino if Wydad's fans proceed to amusement this enthusiasm. -- James Olley

More sights and sounds to follow...

Star subordinate of the day

To travel aft the games...

Match previews, likelihood for Thursday

Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly (Group A; East Rutherford, NJ, Noon ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Palmeiras (-165), Draw (+300), Al Ahly (+450)

Preview to follow...

Inter Miami CF vs. FC Porto (Group A; Atlanta, 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Inter Miami CF (+380), Draw (+300), FC Porto (-150)

Preview to follow...

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Atletico Madrid (Group B; Seattle, 6 p.m. ET)

Odds: Seattle Sounders FC (+750), Draw (+450), Atletico Madrid (-340)

After losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain successful their opening Group B game, this already feels similar a must-win lucifer for Atletico Madrid if they privation to advancement to the knockout phase. That show was unacceptable, the first-half nonaccomplishment to vie uncharacteristic of a Diego Simeone team.

Perhaps the midday vigor successful Pasadena was a factor, though there'll beryllium nary specified excuse connected Thursday evening astatine a cloudy Lumen Field successful Seattle. The Sounders did good against Brazilian giants Botafogo determination connected Sunday -- giving the 2024 Libertadores winners a scare, though losing 2-1 contempt having the bulk of the scoring chances and possession -- and they'll erstwhile again beryllium underdogs against Atletico, hoping to unafraid a celebrated triumph astatine home. -- Alex Kirkland

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo RJ (Group B; Pasadena, 9 p.m. ET)

Odds: PSG (-550), Draw (+550), Botafogo RJ (+1000)

Preview to follow...