Staggered Returns After the World Cup
Manchester City's senior first-team squad are filtering back to club duty after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Almost every player on the Blues' books featured in June and July. Fortunately, they are all returning healthy — except for Rodri, who had minor back surgery this summer.
Enzo Maresca, City's new manager, will be working with a squad that includes both seasoned pros and academy talents.
28 Players Head to Asia
Twenty-eight members of the senior squad and academy system have travelled to Asia for the 2026 summer pre-season tour. The itinerary includes one match in Hong Kong and two in Seoul, South Korea. This is City's first time playing in Hong Kong since 2019; they last played in Seoul in 2023, fresh off their historic Treble-winning season.
The tour kicks off on Saturday, 1 August, against Inter Milan at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. That match will be the fifth encounter between the two clubs in friendlies and competitive fixtures. Their first two meetings were pre-season friendlies in 2010 and 2011. Their first competitive clash came in June 2023 — the unforgettable UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul, where City became European champions for the first time. The only other meeting since was a 0-0 draw in September 2024 in the Champions League league phase.
After Inter, City head to Seoul for a match against K League All-Stars on Wednesday, 5 August, at Seoul World Cup Stadium. They conclude the tour against Atlético Madrid on Sunday, 9 August, at the same venue. That will be the fourth meeting between the clubs. The first two were in the 2021/2022 Champions League quarter-finals — City won 1-0 in the first leg, then drew 0-0 in Madrid. Their most recent encounter was a friendly in July 2023, which Atlético won.
All three friendlies will be available to watch on ManCity.com and the official app for CITY+ subscribers.
Fan Events with PUMA
City have coordinated events with PUMA in Hong Kong and Seoul. Fans can interact with special guests, view the FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophies, attend open training sessions, and visit pop-up stores selling official merchandise.
Travelling Squad
City are travelling with a relatively senior squad. The goalkeepers are Marcus Bettinelli, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Max Chabot, and Jack Wint. Defenders include Rayan Aït-Nouri, Max Alleyne, Kaden Braithwaite, Joško Gvardiol, Matty Henderson-Hall, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis, Stephen Mfuni, and Victor Reis.
Midfielders are Claudio Echeverri, Phil Foden, Jaden Heskey, Mateo Kovačić, Jeremy Monga, Divine Mukasa, Nico Gonzalez, Xavier Parker, Tijjani Reijnders, Floyd Samba, Antoine Semenyo, and Savinho. Forwards are Ryan McAidoo, Divin Mubamba, and Mahamadou Sangare.
Several first-team players who reached the World Cup quarter-finals or beyond will not travel, due to required rest time before the new Premier League season. A small number of players who reached the Round of 16 will join part of the tour but were not with the squad departing Manchester on Tuesday evening.