The dreaded day has come, the Premier League has officially been wrapped up, with Liverpool being crowned Premier League Champions for the first time since 2020, and football in England will take its break. What, you might ask, are you supposed to do with all of that free time now that club football is all finished for the season?
Fear not. While the Premier League might be over for this season, the Club World Cup is just around the corner, and two Premier League sides will compete in the tournament, which will be held in the United States.
Chelsea
- Premier League finish: 4th
- Star Player: Cole Palmer
- How they got a spot: 20/21 UCL Champions
Chelsea have been on a fairly slow ascendency over recent years, but with their Champions League Final victory back in 2020/21, they had already secured their spot in this competition. Their big money signings are starting to look more the part, and for some, more worth the huge outlays of cash spent, than when they first arrived.
With Cole Palmer having an albeit slower season compared to his first in Chelsea blue, this team proposes an interesting dynamic in a group that features CR Flamengo of Brazil, Espérance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia, and Club Leon of Mexico.
There is an undeniable unpredictability when it comes to Chelsea this season, but players like Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, and Noni Madueke sure know how to excite, if they're up for the match.
Manchester City
- Premier League Finish: 3rd
- Star Player: Erling Haaland
- How they got a spot: 2023/24 UCL Champions
Manchester City has sure had a rough season. The standards they have set for themselves and the rest of the Premier League are quite high, and they were unrecognizable at times this year.
Long winless stretches of games, injury after injury, a lack of ruthlessness in front of net, and constantly coming from behind in matches. They did round out their season in a, well, functional manner. While they lost the FA Cup to Crystal Palace, they achieved the only goal they had left to cling to come that final week: Champions League football.
Former Premier League Champions, City, are in group G, along with Juventus, Al-Ain from the UAE, and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco. Apart from Juventus, I don't see the other members of this group giving Manchester City a real run for their money, so getting out of their group should be the minimum expectation.
With Rodri back and some important signings coming in before the Club World Cup kicks off in July, they could very well be dusting themselves off after playing fewer games this past nine months than normal and having a proper go at this competition.
🚨🔵 Manchester City have started club to club talks with AC Milan for Tijjani Reijnders as top target.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 23, 2025
Negotiations to continue next week as opening bid expected to arrive soon.
City want to be fast for Club World Cup + anticipate other European top clubs keen on Reijnders. pic.twitter.com/C4r6WAZUxM
The question remains, is this any solace for Premier League fans, or are you also taking the summer away from club football?