Pep Guardiola has expressed his discontent with FIFA’s new regulations for Club World Cup squad selections, emphasizing doubts about the definition of a “strongest” team. The upcoming 32-team tournament is scheduled to occur in the USA from June 15 to July 13 next year, with Chelsea and Manchester City as the only participating English clubs. FIFA’s initiative aims to ensure that top talents such as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer appear in the matches held in the USA. Despite his contract expiring before the tournament’s conclusion, Guardiola intends to remain at the helm of Manchester City, resisting any mandates about lineup choices.
In a recent press interview, Guardiola voiced his concerns, saying, “What is the strongest players? Which ones? If you tell me for them which players are stronger than the other ones? I don’t understand. We go all the squad there, we don’t go for one game. Right? We go for the whole squad. I don’t understand for the selection which player is stronger than the other one. I know. Strong means form? Maybe the strongest player for them is in a really bad condition for many reasons. And I’m going to play other ones. I’m not going to [have them] say before the game which player to play. I will decide.”
Further, he highlighted his belief in fate and refused to discuss their unbeaten streak against upcoming opponents.
Guardiola emphasized, “How can he go when he didn’t play one game? I never understood that,” and added, “He cannot play with us, cannot play with Belgium. He didn’t say to me he is going to retire from Belgium. He didn’t say that to me, but I don’t know Kevin’s mind. Well now you can!”
