According to the Manchester Evening News, no club had more players participating in this FIFA World Cup than Manchester City. This number does not include Stones and Bernardo Silva, who left the club this summer.
Only one of these 17 players was eliminated early: Uzbekistan, where Khusanov plays, was the only team with a Manchester City player that failed to advance past the group stage. In addition, during the FIFA World Cup, Manchester City finalized its most significant signing of the summer so far – England international Elliott-Anderson will join from Nottingham Forest for a club-record fee of £116 million.
As the FIFA World Cup knockout stage began and the tournament intensified, we rated the performance of Manchester City players who participated.
O'Reilly
Let's start with Manchester City's England international. O'Reilly started in the first group stage match against Croatia, but his performance did not reach the level he showed last season when he won the Premier League Young Player of the Year award. He was dropped from the starting lineup against Ghana but made an impact as a substitute, hitting the crossbar late in the game. He returned to the starting lineup against Panama, showing more of his abilities. 6/10
Guehi
Surprisingly, England did not start Guehi in their opening match against Croatia, preferring Stones and Konsa instead. Guehi returned for the game against Ghana, had few defensive duties, but had many touches, helping the team build up play. His header late in the game almost scored. He started against Panama and has clearly secured a starting spot for the knockout stage. 6/10
Trafford
Trafford's FIFA World Cup journey went as expected: as England's third-choice goalkeeper, he was unlikely to get playing time unless there was a major incident with the other goalkeepers. He was an important member of the squad and will gain valuable experience from the tournament. 5/10
Ruben Dias
The Portuguese defender has been linked with a move away this summer, with Real Madrid showing considerable interest. After returning from injury at the end of last season, he did not get playing time for Manchester City; and in Portugal's opening draw against DR Congo, he was left on the bench. He later played in the big win against Uzbekistan and the draw against Colombia, helping the team keep clean sheets. 5/10
Khusanov
Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in history, and Khusanov was a key figure for the team. Against Colombia, he made a late tackle, taking down Luis Díaz and a cameraman, which quickly went viral on social media; he had a tough time in the team's 0-5 thrashing by Portugal. In the final group stage match against DR Congo, he played the full 90 minutes, but the team, after leading, ultimately lost 1-3. 5/10
Nunes
Nunes had an excellent season at Manchester City last season, firmly establishing himself as the starting right-back. However, Portugal coach Roberto Martínez preferred former Manchester City player Cancelo, and Nunes only made a two-minute substitute appearance in injury time against Colombia. 5/10
Rayan Aït-Nouri
As a key player for Algeria, he helped the team reach the Round of 32. He had a tough time in the opening match against Messi's Argentina, but in the crucial victory against Jordan, he showed excellent ball control and stability, contributing to the team's win. He was benched for the final group stage match against Austria, but came on as a substitute and helped the team secure a point and advance. 6/10
Gvardiol
It's understandable that he wasn't at his best – he spent most of 2026 recovering from a fractured leg. He was a bit shaky against England, and was subbed off at halftime in Croatia's win over Panama; he only came on as a substitute for the final two minutes against Ghana, raising questions about his fitness. 4/10
Ake
The experienced defender came on as a substitute late in the Netherlands' opening 2-2 draw against Japan, and did not play in the Netherlands' big win over Sweden. He started the final group stage match at left-back, performing steadily and helping the team easily defeat Tunisia. 7/10
Rodri
He was the conductor of the Spanish midfield, performing brilliantly in the upset draw against Cape Verde, though not fully controlling the game but playing well; he continued his good form in the big win against Saudi Arabia. He played the full 90 minutes in Spain's narrow win over Uruguay, securing top spot in the group. 7/10
Reijnders
As the core midfielder for the Netherlands, he contributed to the team's excellent performance in the group stage under Ronald Koeman. He didn't make many headlines, but consistently played an effective role. 7/10
Kovacic
The veteran came on as a substitute against England and made a significant impact. He then started against Panama, but Croatia had a tough time in their 1-0 victory. He started in the crucial match against Ghana, helping Croatia qualify as group runners-up. 7/10
Cherki
He struggled to break into France's star-studded starting lineup, and his brief substitute appearance in the opening match against Senegal saw him out of form. He improved significantly during his 25-minute substitute appearance against Iraq; he received similar playing time in the big win against a heavily rotated Norway side. 6/10
Doku
After the first match, he temporarily left the FIFA World Cup to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, which sparked much discussion. The winger had already shown flashes of brilliance in Belgium's opening draw against Egypt, and after his return, he played in the 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand. 6/10
Marmoush
He helped Egypt reach the knockout stage, despite not yet scoring or assisting. He was benched for the final group stage match against Iran but came on at halftime. His performance has always been energetic. 7/10
Semenyo
He had a subdued performance in the first match, but then provided an assist for the winning goal in Ghana's victory over Panama. He was active and effective against England; he played the full 90 minutes against Croatia, helping Ghana successfully qualify. 7/10
Haaland
He is the absolute core of the Norway team. He scored a brace in the comfortable win against Iran, his first FIFA World Cup goals; he then scored another brace in the crucial win against Senegal, leading Norway to the knockout stage. He has every chance of winning the Golden Boot. Norway rested him in their heavy defeat to France in the final group stage match. 9/10
Anderson
That's right, he's not a Manchester City player yet, but he will be soon. Manchester City has finalized the £116 million transfer, and he will join the Etihad Stadium. He had an impressive FIFA World Cup: he played excellently in the opening win against Croatia; against Ghana, despite England's inability to break down the opponent's defense, his performance was still effective. He overcame injury to start against Panama, continuing to show his high level. 8/10
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