Exclusive: Man City hit by £50m+ blow
Manchester City have missed out on more than £50million following their early exit from the Club World Cup, sources have told Football Insider.
The 10-time English champions enjoyed a strong start to the competition after comfortably sweeping aside Wydad AC, Al-Ain and Juventus in the group stage.
Pep Guardiola’s side scored 13 goals in their opening three matches to top Group G, with Juventus finishing in second spot.
The goals kept flowing for Man City in their round-of-16 clash against Al-Hilal, but they suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Saudi Pro League side in Orlando.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden didn’t prove to be enough, with Marcos Leonardo’s 112th-minute strike booking Al-Hilal’s place in the quarter-finals.
Man City’s exit means they failed to win a major trophy in the 2024-25 season after losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final in May.
Chelsea could bank huge windfall after Man City exit
As per official Fifa documents, the 32 teams competing in the Club World Cup have received a participation fee.
The European teams earned a minimum payment of £9.4million, while Man City have been handed £28million as Fifa’s top-ranked club.
Guardiola’s side banked £4.5million from the group stage, with £1.5million dished out for each win.
Qualification for the round of 16 banked the Manchester giants a further £5.5million, taking their total earnings to £38million after the defeat against Al-Hilal.
Football Insider revealed on 11 June Man City could have earned around £93million from the Club World Cup if they had gone on to win the trophy.
That means they have missed out on around £55million in extra prize money.
Meanwhile, Chelsea still have a chance to bank themselves a huge windfall after progressing to the quarter-finals.
Enzo Maresca’s side will face Brazilian club Palmeiras for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday (5 July).
James McAtee makes Man City transfer decision after Nottingham Forest reveal
In terms of a potential exit at the Etihad Stadium, recruitment expert Mick Brown told Football Insider James McAtee is set to snub a move to Nottingham Forest in favour of a switch to Germany.
Forest sent scouts to watch McAtee at the Under-21s European Championships, where he captained England to the trophy.
However, the 22-year-old is understood to favour a move to the Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen all monitoring his situation.
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