World in Motion

Here's our guide to all our players taking part in the 2026 World Cup, nation by nation...

England

James Trafford, Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly

Three City players have been named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad including two homegrown players from our Academy.

Trafford goes to the World Cup having playing in our two major finals this season.

Marc Guéhi has impressed since his move to the Blues and could be alongside former City legend John Stones who has just left the Club but has always been a solid performer for the Three Lions.

Nico O’Reilly completes the quartet after a superb season at club level and while he has mostly played as a left-back, he also gives Thomas Tuchel an extra option in midfield during the tournament.

France

Rayan Cherki

Our supremely talented playmaker has been rewarded for a fine first year in English football with a place in Didier Deschamps’ star-studded squad. If he gets his chance, he will surely take it!

Having won the competition in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, the expectation remains that France will be one of the teams to beat.

The 22-year-old made his senior international debut last June and has featured seven times so far for Les Bleus.

Belgium

Jeremy Doku

Our rapid winger has been named in the Red Devils’ squad after another impressive season with City.

The Russia 2018 campaign saw the Red Devils reach the semi-finals, but in 2022 despite being among the pre-tournament favourites, Belgium bowed out at the end of the group stage.

Doku, still a raw talent at Rennes, played just 18 minutes in Qatar, but now the 23-year-old brings a new energy and boldness as Rudi Garcia’s side look to perform as best they can.

Portugal

Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias

Our duo have been named in Portugal’s squad for this summer’s tournament.

Roberto Martinez has selected them in a party that also includes former Blues Joao Cancelo and Bernardo.

Portugal are in Group K and begin with DR Congo on 17 June and follow up with clashes against Uzbekistan in Houston on 23 June before concluding their campaign against Colombia in Miami on 27 June.

Egypt

Omar Marmoush

The City striker has been named in The Pharaohs squad for North America.

Marmoush has already won 50 caps for his country, scoring 11 times and has featured at three Africa Cup of Nations.

But this will be his first World Cup as Egypt face Belgium on 15 June, New Zealand on 22 June and Iran on 27 June.

Norway

Erling Haaland

At the age of 25, Haaland is already his country’s greatest ever goalscorer with 55 goals from 50 appearances - 22 more than anyone else.

He was pivotal in helping Norway to their first World Cup in 28 years.

Haaland scored in each of their eight qualifiers amassing an incredible 16 goals, adding to his phenomenal total with the Blues.

His eyes will be firmly on winning the Golden Shoe!

Croatia

Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic

Our Croatian duo have both been selected as part of Zlatko Dalic’s squad ahead of Group L fixtures against England, Ghana and Panama.

Runners-up in 2018 and semi-finalists in 2022, Gvardiol and Kovacic will be hoping to continue their nation’s remarkable recent World Cup performances in the United States this summer.

Their opening Group L match sees them take on England in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday 17 June.

Spain

Rodri

Our midfield metronome is a star name in the squad of the reigning European champions.

And he’ll be at his first major tournament since winning the Ballon d’Or in the autumn of 20.

Rodri will hope to return to the Etihad as a World Cup winner - and who would bet against him?

Netherlands

Nathan Ake, Tijjani Reijnders

Our Dutch duo have also been given the nod ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with Group F fixtures against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia on the horizon.

The Netherlands, three-time runners-up, reached the quarter-finals in 2022 before losing out to Argentina on penalties.

Both are likely to feature prominently in this summer's tournament.

Algeria

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Left-back Ait-Nouri has been included in the Algeria squad for the tournament.

The North African side are in Group J and face current champions Argentina in their opening game on 17 June.

Former City winger Riyad Mahrez has also been named for Algeria who face Austria on 23 June and Jordan on June 28 in their other matches.

Ghana

Antoine Semenyo

Our January signing has already had a 2026 to remember, hitting the ground running at City and scoring a brilliant FA Cup final winner in May.

He’ll be one of Ghana’s outstanding hopes at this World Cup, with games against England, Croatia and Panama placing them in one of the tougher groups.

With three goals in 34 caps so far, he’ll be hoping this is when he shows his best form yet on the international stage.

Uzbekistan

Abdukodir Khusanov

Our brilliantly talented young central defender is adored by City fans - but it pales in comparison to the love he has in his homeland.

Still only 22, he’s already represented Uzbekistan 26 times and is a leading light in their hopes at their first ever World Cup this summer.

They’ll play Portugal, DR Congo and Colombia in what promises to be a historic time for Khusanov’s country.

Feature: Jack Mumford

Coming to America

Watch out world, Erling Haaland is about to storm the FIFA 2026 World Cup – here we look at our brilliant Norwegian’s international journey with his – and his Norway youth coach - international recollections…

The 2026 World Cup will be celebrated in Norway no matter what happens.

It’s been 28 years since the Nordic nation last played at a World Cup, with their last appearance at France ’98 seeing a certain Alfie Inge Haaland among its squad.

It is only fitting that Erling will take over where his father left off by representing his country at this summer’s tournament.

And Molde assistant coach Pål Arne Johansen - better known as ‘Paco’ – will be particularly proud of Haaland junior’s achievements.

Paco would coach a teenage Haaland  for Norway’s youth squads and was already well aware of his abilities with his record of 13 goals in 32 appearances at Under 15, 16, 17 and 18 levels preceding him.

But the Leeds-born striker was continually improving, pushing himself and making waves at international level

“The big break for him, in my opinion, was when we went to that Euro qualifier in Germany,” recalls Paco.

“He had some amazing actions during the match, where he dribbled through the whole German defence with speed and power and I was sat there thinking, ‘wow, he can be a really top player.’

“Norway hadn’t featured in a European U19 Championship for 13 years and we were in a group with Netherlands, Germany and Scotland.

“Only the winner went through, so for a small football nation like us, it was a big challenge. We lost our first game against Netherlands, even though we played quite well. Erling should have scored three goals in that game, but he was lacking a little match sharpness.

"But in the next game we beat a Germany side that included Kai Havertz. We won 5-2 and it should have been 10-2! It was a great game and Erling scored twice – though he should have scored five. It didn’t matter because his ability to get into big scoring chances was incredible in that game.

“He had some amazing actions during the match, where he dribbled through the whole German defence with speed and power and I was sat there thinking, ‘wow, he can be a really top player.

“That was in March in 2018 and in the next game we beat Scotland and he scored three goals including two penalties which qualified us for the Euros, and then we qualified for the Under-20 World Cup which was our first time in 26 years.”

Even aged 17, Erling Haaland was starting to carry the hopes and dreams of a nation on his shoulders…

“He was in a team that was making history and by that time and it was all starting to happen for him. But the game that convinced me he could play in one of the top five European leagues was that performance against Germany – who had some good defenders at the time – but they just couldn’t stop him.

“I’d guess that was also the tournament that made other clubs outside Norway really sat up and take notice. He finished top scorer in the Euros and then at the Under-20 World Cup a year later.”

The U20 World Cup is today, for many Norwegians the stuff of legend.

Haaland, then playing for Molde, was aged only 18 at the time but it was clear that Norway had a potential superstar on their hands, not to mention a talented generation of other young up and coming stars.

But defeats to New Zealand and Uruguay meant Norway’s only hopes were to end their group stage with a big win against Honduras and sneak through the back door as one of the best third place teams – and even then they would be relying on results elsewhere.

A victory of five goals-plus was required - a challenge Haaland seemed to personally take upon his shoulders, as he unleashed a devastating display of finishing against the Hondurans, scoring nine goals in a 12-0 victory.

“We needed to win that game by at least five goals to have the best chance of advancing and I remember him collecting the ball out of the net after his ninth of the game and sprinting back to the centre circle with it to get the game going again. I think he enjoyed that football match and it was important for him confidence-wise. But the thing that I recall most from that game is that he was quite annoyed he hadn’t scored a tenth goal!” smiled Paco.

"I remember in the dressing room he was holding up nine fingers, and he was quite annoyed he couldn’t hold up ten! He had 10 chances and scored nine of them that evening as well as having one goal disallowed, but he was still frustrated he hadn’t managed double figures, which tells you a little bit about Erling Haaland!”

With 30 goals in 46 games for the various Norway age levels (U15 to U21), in August 2019 he was called up to the senior squad and 49 appearances and a record 55 goals later, he has been integral ever since, with his blistering form during qualifying seeing the Norwegians end their 28-year wait for World Cup football.

“He is the biggest star in Norwegian football, and  Erling is one of our top athletes at the moment and part of a new generation of Norwegian players who are excelling around Europe,” says Paco.

And now Erling is about to show anyone who doesn’t already know just what he can do in a Norway shirt.

And he is more than willing to accept the responsibility of a nation.

“I think everyone expected it,” says Haaland. “Let's put it this way. If I was a Norwegian football fan, living in Norway, and Erling Haaland plays for the Norwegian national team. I expect him to take us to the World Cup. Yeah. Simple as that.

“So I've been working towards it for a long time now, and finally, we managed to do it, which was incredible, and hopefully it's the start of something - something special because we've got a great generation now, we've got a lot of young players still, and we are building something together, which can be amazing.

“Ever since I made my [international] debut in 2019, my big goal has been to get Norway to a World Cup and Euros. It's a lot of pressure on me but I like the pressure – I would put a lot of pressure on Erling Haaland if I wasn't Erling Haaland myself!

“I never got to experience Norway in World Cups so I'd always be rooting for other teams. I liked England, of course – I always wanted them to win. I have to say that.”

And what had dad Alfie had to say having played at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups?

“That it's a whole different vibe because it's the biggest stage, and especially now in the US, this summer is going to be the biggest ever,” says Erling.

“He also always says, ‘You need to try not to think too much about it and just enjoy it because you never know what's going to happen in the future.’ Hopefully I'll play in a World Cup again but for now it's about enjoying the present and the fact that we've actually qualified.

“I mean, we're doing so good in all the winter and summer sports [athletics] as well, to be honest, so it's about time we perform a bit in football. We now have an amazing generation, and I want to build on this. I want to develop the whole federation and everything around it to become a big football nation. That is my goal.”

Pitted against France, Senegal and Iraq in the group stage, Erling knows there is a particularly tough task ahead to progress. He may also well have to face City team-mate Rayan Cherki against Les Bleus…

“France, ranked No.1, is the best national team in the world," smiles Haaland. "Senegal is 14th best and even Iraq, who qualified for the first time in almost 50 years or something, imagine how motivated they will be? So it's going to be a really tough group, and we need to play at our best to stand a chance.

“[Rayan] and me, we joke. We have a few pictures in the dressing room, me vs Cherki. It's going to be fun because I never played against him, only with him. And we joke so much in training and when we play games as well so it's going to be funny.”

Feature: David Clayton
with thanks to Mike Christensen and GQ.com

Singing Les Bleus!

Rayan Cherki is swapping our Blues for Les Bleus this summer… here, our gifted playmaker looks ahead to his first World Cup…

IIf there’s one player Manchester City fans will be watching with excitement at the World Cup, it is Rayan Cherki.

On the back of a wonderful first season with the Blues, Cherki will attempt to show his talent on a global stage over the next few weeks as France bid to win the World Cup for a third time.

With vivid memories of watching the tournament as a seven year-old, the first World Cup Cherki remembers was in 2010 – ironically, one most of France would rather forget as they finished bottom of their group after losing to Mexico and Uruguay and drew with South Africa.

But like all kids, it was the colour, emotion and noise that enraptured him.

“I think it would be the 2010 World Cup. I was seven years old,” said Cherki in an interview with beIN Sports.

“The 2010 World Cup, the ball that became iconic, the music that also became iconic. Those are my earliest memories.

“But today, my best memory of the France national team is the 2018 World Cup. I think 2018 is the memory that stands out the most to me, France winning the World Cup. I was lucky enough to travel to Russia to watch a few matches. It was an incredible, unforgettable experience.

“I only watched the group stage matches and then I had to return to France. I watched the final at home with my family. It was amazing to see the French national team win the World Cup and  like everyone else, we went out into the streets, we sang and we shouted like everyone.”

Moving forward to 2018 and the then-14 year-old Cherki was making his debut for France Under-16s against Denmark.

Indeed, the French were keen to make sure they didn’t lose the Lyon teenager who could have played for Algeria or Italy as well.

As Cherki began to work his way through France’s junior teams, the senior team secured a second World Cup triumph in 20 years as they beat Croatia 4-2 in the final of the 2018 tournament in Russia.

And four years later, the French looked set to retain the trophy when they took on Argentina in Qatar. But it wasn’t to be, as Lionel Messi finally won the one winner’s medal he had always believed was his destiny.

In a thrilling final, Argentina beat France on penalties, leaving a spellbound Cherki disappointed but enchanted by the beautiful football he had witnessed.

Trailing 2-0, France scored twice in two minutes on 80 and 81 minutes and then came back again with two minutes of extra time left to draw 3-3 and force a penalty shoot-out which Argentina went on to win 4-2.

“It was an incredible run,” he smiled, “but unfortunately, it ended with an extraordinary match and a crazy comeback. I think it was the best match in World Cup history; there’s no doubt about it. A 3-3 World Cup final that goes to penalties… I don’t think we’ll see something like that again anytime soon.”

Cherki pretty much booked his place on the plane to the 2026 World Cup a year ago last June as he came off the bench in the Nations League semi-final against Spain to provide an exquisite assist and a world class goal in a stunning cameo.

And he is impressing his international team-mates, too.

PSG star Warren Zaire-Emery believes Cherki has the world at his feet going into this World Cup.

"I don't think he impresses only me, he impresses many people," said Zaire-Emery. "Sometimes he has moves, he himself doesn't know what he's doing. It's just genius! When you have a player like Rayan, you have to give him the balls, he is all the time decisive so he is an incredible player,"

Now, Cherki's focus is on helping his nation become world champions once again and playing whatever part he can to achieve that.

“It would be a huge source of pride, because my goal is to show that today the French national team brings people together. It unites everyone under one shirt, under one banner,” he says.

“I rely a lot on my football to show people that I, as an Algerian, I, as an Italian, I, as a French person, can succeed. And we don’t have to hold each other back. Every player makes their own choices, and those choices need to be understood.”

With only seven caps going into the tournament, Cherki knows he might have to be patient for his opportunities – but there will be nobody prouder if and when that does happen.

“I hope to have a great World Cup to show everyone that no matter where you come from, no matter your age, no matter who you are, you can succeed, and that would be my greatest reward,” he said.

“I think we have the best players in the world. Whether we are the best team in the world… we’ll find out on July 16.”

Feature: David Clayton with thanks to BeIN Sports

Argentina '78

The story of Scotland’s ‘lost’ World Cup from the recollections of two City players who took part – Asa Hartford and Willie Donachie.

When Scotland arrived in Argentina for the 1978 World Cup, optimism north of the border was not just high, it was borderline fever pitch.

“We’ll come back with the World Cup,” manager Ally MacLeod declared - a sentiment echoed by a passionate travelling Tartan Army who were equally convinced this was their moment to repeat what England achieved 12 years earlier.

Yet Argentina ’78 remains a painful experience for any Scot, as the hopes and dreams of a nation unravelled on a global stage.

City’s interest centred Asa Hartford and Willie Donachie - both key figures at Maine Road at the time of their South American adventure - with Hartford an integral part of Scotland’s midfield and left-back Donachie an experienced and vital cog in MacLeod’s defence.

“He said we would be coming back from the World Cup with a medal and in the end we did, but it was a wooden one,”  said Hartford, who represented City over two periods in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I think the players wished he hadn’t said it. There was a lot of hullabaloo. Before the tournament we were all unveiled at Hampden one at a time.

“Looking back on it, it should have been low profile. Even at the time I didn't feel comfortable.

“We had players like Kenny Dalglish, Joe Jordan, Bruce Rioch and Lou Macari. The World Cup should have been the highlight of my career but in the end it wasn’t.

“You saw the problem between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy with the Republic of Ireland in 2002, all the disputes over the facilities, and you can multiply that many times for us.

“The advance party had been out there, and we were supposed to be able to train at the facility where we were staying, near Cordoba.

“But Derek Johnstone injured his ankle on the pitch and in the end we had to commute to a place 30 kilometres away to train. We were promised an Olympic-sized swimming pool, too. But there was no water in it. A lot of the players weren’t happy.”

Hartford was a technically gifted and intelligent schemer who brought balance and composure to Tony Book’s excellent Manchester City side.  At club level, he was reliable and consistent - qualities Scotland desperately needed in Argentina. But like so many in the squad of ‘78, he was dragged into a tournament defined by tactical confusion and, if anything, over confidence.

That’s not to say this wasn’t a generational Scottish squad.

The Times journalist Brian Glanville wrote: "The Scots had an abundance of fine midfield players at a time when most other countries looked for them desperately; Bruce Rioch,  Don Masson, Asa Hartford, Archie Gemmill, Lou Macari and Graeme Souness.”

And it didn’t end in midfield, with Donachie, Sandy Jardine, Kenny Burns, Martin Buchan and Gordon McQueen in defence were among the best in the top English and Scottish divisions and there was world class talent in attack with Kenny Dalglish and John Robertson.

“With hindsight, I think we had a chance to win it because we had a good enough team,” said Donachie.

“I’ve thought a lot about it over the years, and, for me, there certain things that stopped us. I’ve always felt the game’s about good players. It’s not about coaches and stuff; it’s about good players.

“If you’ve got the best players, like City have had for many years, then you’re the best team. When we got to the finals, big Gordon McQueen, who was a massive part, was injured.

“I also think Ally was too loyal to the players who’d got us there.

“He maybe should’ve played a couple of fresher, younger players like Graeme Souness earlier on. It sounds ridiculous, but without those factors, I really think we could have won the World Cup.”

With no other players at the World Cup –  Poland captain Kaziu Deyna would sign for the Blues after the tournament - City fans watched with interest to see how our two popular Scots got on.

However, the warning signs came almost immediately.

Scotland opened with a 3-1 defeat to Peru, with a performance that stunned fans back home. Defensive frailties, lack of cohesion, and an inability to cope with a lively and confident Peru attack were evident from the outset.

Donachie, Hartford and their teammates looked nothing like the organised, adaptable players seen week in, week out in the First Division, or indeed during World Cup qualification.

“We played Peru and didn’t know anything about them,” said Hartford.

“We didn’t know they had two flying wingers. You don’t expect a dossier, but we needed to know something about them. But at the same time we as players didn’t perform.”

Donachie added: “Ally didn’t dwell on the opposition. We underestimated Peru and Iran.

“The really disappointing thing was how it affected Ally. He was humiliated by the media. Ally didn’t show it to us, but everybody was under pressure after the first game.”

It’s fair to say most had envisaged Scotland winning their two opening games, but there was more frustration to follow when tournament minnows Iran held MacLeod’s men to a 1-1 draw - a widely regarded as one of the lowest points in Scottish football history with the seeming lack of a plan once again evident.

For the thousands of Scottish fans in attendance, enough was enough and as they chanted, “We want our money back!”, their vocal demonstration that was watched by millions across the globe.

“The Iran game was the worst I have ever been involved in. It was a World Cup game, but it was played in front of around 12,000 in a 30,000 stadium and there was no atmosphere,” said Hartford.

"We went out of the tournament there and then really.”

Scotland had led in both their opening games, compounding fans’ anger, and it meant the final match against a very good Netherlands side needed to end in a four-goal winning margin for MacLeod’s men in order to progress.

When the Dutch went ahead, it seemed the Scots would go out of the tournament with a whimper– but the story would not end there.

Dalglish levelled right on half-time and a minute after the restart, Nottingham Forest’s Archie Gemmill made it 2-1 from the penalty spot.

That glimmer of hope became genuine belief when Gemmill then scored a brilliant individual goal on 68 minutes to make it 3-1.

“I was 10 yards to his left, shouting, ‘Pass it to me, you greedy so and so!’” Hartford recalled.

“What people don’t realise is that Archie never scored goals like that. It wasn’t exactly his trademark. I was the first to get to him on his celebration run and, if I hadn’t, he would still have been running today!”

Incredibly, one more goal and Scotland were going through and it would be the Dutch heading home, but a wonderful strike from Johnny Rep three minutes later all-but ended what would have been an incredible turnaround of fortunes.

With no further goals, a 3-2 win proved too little, too late, but the manner of the victory proved how good the Scots could be on their day – perhaps with the weight of expectation of a nation lifted – but as the team and their supporters travelled back across the Atlantic, thoughts of what might have been were at the forefront of everybody’s minds.

Feature: David Clayton

The Pyramid Scheme

Omar Marmoush says Egypt mean business at the World Cup – only their second appearance in the tournament for 36 years…

Omar Marmoush will become City’s first Egyptian World Cup player when he walks out for their first match.

He will compete for the Pharaohs  in a group that includes Belgium, Iran and New Zealand and will likely lead the line alongside friend and former Liverpool star Mo Salah.

For Marmoush, like so many other international footballers, it will be the source of enormous pride representing his nation in their Group G clashes which will take place in Seattle and Vancouver.

The City forward will celebrate his 50th cap at the World Cup – he entered the tournament having won cap No.49 in a 1-0 friendly win over Russia – and is thrilled at the prospect of competing in what is generally perceived as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.

But he also warns that Egypt are not there to merely make up the numbers – he and his national team team-mates aim to make their country proud and go as deep into the competition as possible.

"Our ambitions are high and the confidence among the players is very high that hopefully we can do something and raise Egypt's name"

“Of course, it's a dream for anyone to play in the World Cup, to qualify, and to represent our country as the Egyptian national team,” says Marmoush.

“It's a huge thing for us. But as I said before, and I'll say it again, we’re not just going to play in the World Cup - we're going to compete for a championship. 

“Of course, we must be realistic; we're playing against some of the best teams in the world, and the level of the nations we'll be facing is very high.  

“But we're not going thinking we will just play three matches and leave. 

“God willing, we will succeed. We'll try to get past the group stage and then take it one match at a time. 

“Our ambitions are high and the confidence among the players is very high that hopefully we can do something and raise Egypt's name.

“We want to show ourselves in a good way, and we can dream of winning the tournament too, or of reaching a certain stage. We're not going just to make a name for ourselves – it is not a case of  ‘We went to the World Cup’ and that's it.

“With the players we have, with the team we have, with the quality we have, and as the Egyptian national team, we are the best team in Africa.

“We go to the World Cup to pass the group stage, to show the world who we are, not just to be present.”

Having made his debut for his country back in 2021, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Libya, he has become a regular in Hossam Hassan’s starting XI and has a decent goals return better than one every five games.

Ironically, with one of Egypt’s group games being played in Vancouver, he will be returning to a country he stayed in briefly, his parents worked in for six years and a nation he could have been representing instead of the country of his birth.

The Canadian national team offered Marmoush the chance to represent them – a gesture he appreciated, but one he was never going  to take up.

“I had only visited Canada occasionally, and despite the opportunity, my heart was set on playing for Egypt,” he smiled. “I felt a strong connection to my roots and wanted to perform for the Pharaohs."

"I go into the matches wanting to win and give my best performance, whether at City or with the national team.

Of course, he has resided in Europe for many years now, but at 27, he says there really is no place like home…

“What do I miss about home?" he smiles. "The food, the atmosphere, or the comfort in Egypt. There are several things, honestly. 

“This is our country, so when we're there, we feel very comfortable. We're surrounded by all the people we love, all the things you love, and you feel safe in your own country. That’s definitely the thing I miss the most. 

“I lived in Egypt for 18 years and grew up there, so there are still very Egyptian things in me. I love my country so much.  

“I love any three or four days off I take to go down to Egypt and enjoy our country because it's beautiful.  So, this is something I always carrying my heart, that I also represent Egypt, so I want to represent our country in the best way possible.  

"I go into the matches wanting to win and give my best performance, whether at City or with the national team.

“As a football player, you go everywhere wanting to perform at your best. For Egypt, I am representing my country, after all. So, basically, your mentality is that in every match - cup, league, national team, Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, World Cup - you go into every match with the same mindset, trying to give your absolute best.”

And alongside Salah, Omar admits he will be playing alongside one of his biggest inspirations: “When we're with the national team, we try to joke around with each other as a team to lighten the mood. The atmosphere is all about football, and the whole point is that your life revolves around football, so when you go to the national team, of course you still talk about football, but we try to separate it as much as possible and joke about other things.  

“And of course, Mohamed Salah, with everything he has achieved, all the history he has made so far, is still going strong. I feel that [the Egyptian people] are proud of both of us.”

Interview: David Clayton/Sylvie Minous

The Greatest Manchester City All-time World Cup squad?

City have been represented by some incredible players over the years, from all over the world. Many have proudly represented our club at the World Cup so, prior to the 2026 tournament, CITY MAGAZINE has created an all-time World Cup XI. Do you agree with our selections?

These are players who have previously played at the tournament, as well as appearing in this summer’s World Cup. We’ve had to miss out some great names from the past and not-so-distant past – but this would be one heck of a team! Do you agree?

And as for managers, only Sven-Goran Eriksson and Manuel Pellegrini have managed City AND at taken charge of nation at a World Cup, so we’ve gone for Sven on this occasion.

MANAGER: Sven-Goran Eriksson

FORMATION: 4-3-3

GK: Ederson (Brazil)
RB: Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina)
CB: Vincent Kompany (Belgium)
CB: John Stones (England)
LB: Willie Donachie (Scotland) 
CM: Rodri (Spain)
CMR: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
CML: David Silva (Spain)
STR: Sergio Aguero (Argentina)
STR: Carlos Tevez (Argentina)
STR: Erling Haaland (Norway)

Subs:
Fernandinho (Brazil) Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Joe Hart (England), Colin Bell (England), Francis Lee (England),
Ilkay Gundogan (Germany), Bernardo (Portugal) Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Kyle Walker (England)