In the Group G clash of the , which was played at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Phil Foden scored the fastest goal in the tournament history in just one minute and 51 seconds.
The early goal from the 25-year-old set up the game for Manchester City before he assisted Jeremy Doku’s goal towards the end of the first half, which was enough for their team to defeat Wydad AC 2-0, earning three valuable points to kick-off their campaign.
Phil Foden made a telling impact during his hour-long stay on the pitch for Manchester City with three shots on target, two big chances created apart from making a one important clearance as well. Under the sustained pressure of Manchester City attackers, Wydad AC, the club from Casablanca in Morocco, had to sit deep, and it meant that they weren’t able to create any meaningful chances.
Phil Foden was given player of the match award in FIFA Club World Cup clash
While the result was a forgone conclusion since the very beginning, the quality of performance from Phil Foden was a stark contrast to his lack of consistency in Manchester City colours in the 2024-25 season. The English midfielder was given the player of the match award for his two vital goal contributions, and he will be hoping to continue his form at least in the remaining Group G matches against Al-Ain and Juventus.
In the post-match interview, Phil Foden was happy about starting afresh for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States after having a tough time in Europe for Manchester City in the recently concluded 2025-26 season. He was quoted as saying, as per The Guardian, ‘I got a little bit of time off, rested,’ he said. ‘New start, new me. Just looking forward to the season. The hunger inside me is back and I want to prove people wrong.’
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s remarks on the performance read, ‘The first game is always really important. [Foden was] really good. He’s always there. We’re really pleased. [Reijnders] is a really good player. You feel it, smell it. When he gets the rhythm he will be top.’