Manchester City delivered a ruthless reminder of why they remain the reigning world champions with a 6-0 dismantling of Al Ain in Group G play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday night. The European giants secured their second straight win in the group stage, powered by a brace from Ilkay Gündogan, a penalty goal from Erling Haaland, and a stunning free kick from teenage sensation Claudio Echeverri.
City’s complete dominance was on full display at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as they cruised to a 3-0 halftime lead and never let up, sealing their place in the knockout round with a game to spare. The final two goals came from substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki, with Cherki scoring in his Manchester City debut.
The Premier League champions (2-0-0, 6 points) will face Juventus on Thursday in Orlando in a clash that will determine the Group G winner. Both teams have already clinched advancement after defeating Al Ain (0-2-0) and Morocco’s Wydad AC.
From the outset, City asserted their superiority. Their first corner came in just the eighth minute, and it quickly led to a breakthrough. Bernardo Silva’s delivery was deflected toward Gündogan, who calmly chipped a lobbed shot over a helpless Khalid Eisa and into the far corner to open the scoring.
Just under 20 minutes later, 19-year-old Argentine midfielder Claudio Echeverri announced himself in style. After a foul by Al Ain’s Facundo Zabala, who received a yellow card, Echeverri stepped up and curled a beautiful free kick over the wall and into the top corner—his first goal in a Manchester City shirt and a highlight of the tournament so far.
Haaland made it 3-0 deep into first-half stoppage time after City earned a penalty. The Norwegian star buried the spot-kick with ease, sending Eisa the wrong way to net his first of the tournament.
City’s relentless pressure never wavered in the second half. Gündogan added his second of the night in the 73rd minute, receiving a clever pass from Silva, slipping between defenders, and slotting home with clinical precision.
Oscar Bobb got in on the scoring act in the 84th minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the box and rifling a low shot past Eisa. The final blow came from Rayan Cherki in the 89th minute—just minutes after making his debut—who one-timed a pass from Haaland into the net to complete the six-goal rout.
Al Ain, the UAE club champion, never managed to mount a serious threat. They were outshot 21-5 and forced Stefan Ortega into just one save all night. Eisa made five stops but had little help from his back line in the face of wave after wave of City attacks.
With the expanded Club World Cup format showcasing global talent and depth, Manchester City once again proved their pedigree and squad versatility. The defending champions—who won the 2023 edition under the old seven-team setup—look locked in for another deep tournament run.
Their next challenge will be against Juventus, a matchup fitting of a final, but only to determine group supremacy. Based on their performance Sunday night, Pep Guardiola’s side will enter that showdown brimming with confidence and firing on all cylinders.
