'Mad' Haaland, Pep prediction - Man City stars given extra motivation

Manchester City players are battling to win back the Premier League but also have extra motivation for the rest of the season

Manchester City players were all teasing each other about who would be celebrating at the upcoming Qatar World Cup when Pep Guardiola felt the need to intervene. He wasn't interested in them returning their focus to the club that pays their wages, he just wanted to tell them all how wrong they were.

“They were in the locker room chatting about the candidates to win the World Cup and they mentioned Portugal, France, all the teams from here [Europe],” remembered striker Julian Alvarez. “I didn’t say anything. And Guardiola told them, ‘Do you know who has the most chance best chance? He pointed at me.”

Alvarez was speaking after Guardiola's prediction had come true - Argentina did indeed emerge victorious on a night that would have consequences for one of their biggest stars. Erling Haaland broke the Premier League goalscoring record and helped City win the Treble, only to finish as runner-up at the Ballon d'Or awards to an MLS attacker by the name of Lionel Messi.

Haaland would have loved to have had the chance to rival Messi at the World Cup but Norway hadn't qualified. The striker did lay on his sadness for a fun video with Sky promoting the return of the Premier League, but he also made clear how disappointed he had been.

"I've been at home, a bit mad that I've not been at the World Cup," Haaland he said after the first league game back. "I recharged my batteries. Watching other people score to win games at the World Cup triggered, motivated and irritated me. I'm more hungry and more ready than ever."

Haaland has now made sure he will be at the 2026 World Cup after spearheading Norway's successful campaign, and he will go head-to-head with France's Kylian Mbappe in the group stages as both battle for the next Ballon d'Or. Nobody can rule Messi out again though, given Argentina's potential and the weight that is given to the biggest stage in world football.

It was in Qatar a few years ago that Josko Gvardiol cemented his reputation as one of the finest defenders in world football, despite suffering first-hand to Messi's brilliance as the forward dragged him half the length of the pitch before putting him and Croatia out of their misery. First up this time for Croatia is England, and as of Saturday Gvardiol hadn't even broached the subject with most of the England boys.

"Not yet. Maybe a month before it starts," he said. "I'm happy that I'm going to see them. Hopefully all of them will be in the team. I spoke to Kalvin this morning. I remember my first Euros, his first Euros we played against each other in the first game. Kalvin was there, John, Phil, Kyle. I was playing as a full-back so I was on Kyle's side."

Gvardiol knows the chat is coming though, and as the World Cup approach it is going to be the subject of many discussions in a dressing room where nearly every player will be going. Not everyone is guaranteed though, be it (somehow) Phil Foden for England, Nico Gonzalez and Rodri for Spain or Savinho for Brazil.

Those players should have extra motivation to do everything they can for City in the coming months, because as hard as being left out of a national team squad for the World Cup there will be even more pain on top of that having to hear the excited chatter about it from the rest of their teammates in the dressing room and the group chats.