Manchester City mean business and are not going to the Club World Cup for vacation, stresses Josko Gvardiol | OneFootball

Manchester City mean business when they will travel to the United States to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup between June and July, defender Josko Gvardiol has stressed.

The Premier League champions will represent England at the 32-club tournament alongside Chelsea in a bid to secure another piece of silverware and finish what has been a largely underwhelming campaign on a high.

Kevin De Bruyne is not expected to feature for Pep Guardiola’s side in any capacity at the Club World Cup, with the 33-year-old Belgian expected to part ways with Manchester City as the ongoing league campaign finishes.

However, City can still finish in the top five in the Premier League to secure Champions League football for the 2025-26 season and go on to win the FA Cup for an eighth time in the club’s history if they get past Nottingham Forest in the semi-final at Wembley on Sunday.

After a mixed bag season, Josko Gvardiol is looking forward to the Club World Cup and has doubled down on the importance of the tournament, stating that Manchester City will not slack off when they are in the United States.

“I can’t wait to have the opportunity to play there and maybe to achieve something really special,” the 23-year-old said in a recent interview with FIFA, as quoted by Manchester City’s official website.

“Of course, everyone wants to lift the trophy, but there is only one team who can lift it. Hopefully, we can be that one team, especially after the whole season and what we’ve been through.

“We’re not going there for a holiday or a vacation. We’re going there for a new challenge, to try to achieve something and to win a trophy. Last year, we went on pre-season in America. I didn’t expect we’d have so many fans there! When we went for a walk in New York, and there were just so many people following us.

“This tournament is something a bit different. We’re going to have the opportunity to see how the atmosphere is from fans around the world. I think there will be a good atmosphere, not just at the stadiums, but also around the cities. It’s going to be really beautiful.”