Manchester City’s preseason journey has landed in Seoul, South Korea, marking a pivotal moment in the club’s transition to new leadership under head coach Enzo Maresca. The English champions are set to face Team K League on August 5, 2026, at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, before taking on Atletico Madrid later in the week. These matches form the heart of the fifth annual Coupang Play Series, a now-anticipated tradition that brings European football’s elite to Asia’s passionate fans.
Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola in June, addressed the press just hours after arriving in Seoul. The Italian coach, keen to stamp his identity on the squad, emphasized the importance of these preseason fixtures. “Both games in this moment, they are very important for us no matter the opponents,” Maresca said. “The reason is just because we need, game after game, to see how the team is getting better and better. So this is the main focus in this moment. For sure, we are going to try to win games. That is the main thing, but in the same moment, we need to see how the team is improving day after day.”
Manchester City’s Asian tour kicked off with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1. Youngster Divin Mubama put City ahead, but Inter’s Benjamin Pavard quickly equalized, and the Italian side clinched victory in a penalty shootout. Maresca acknowledged, “There were many things that we can do better” from that match, yet he was pleased with the progress displayed during preseason training. The head coach is determined to use these games as a testing ground for his tactical ideas and to evaluate how returning and new players adapt to his methods.
Seoul’s sweltering heat has presented an additional challenge, with the city under its highest-level heat wave warning as of August 4, a condition expected to persist on match day. Maresca, however, shrugged off concerns about the oppressive conditions. “We try to train in a normal way, knowing that the temperature is the temperature. It is something that also we need to adapt [to] in this moment,” he remarked. “It is not something that I am worried [about] because we need to train, we need to play games. So the most important thing that we can do in this case is just to try to adapt to the weather and take every game in the right way and try to improve game after game.”
City’s squad in Seoul is missing several high-profile names due to the fallout from a grueling summer. Players who reached the quarterfinals or further at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including Rodri—captain of Spain’s World Cup-winning team and Golden Ball recipient—and Norwegian star Erling Haaland, remain on a mandatory three-week rest before the Premier League season begins on August 21. Also absent are Nico O’Reilly, Jérémy Doku, and new signing Elliot Anderson, who is enjoying extended time off following England’s impressive run to the World Cup semi-finals.
Despite these absences, Maresca’s options remain formidable. Phil Foden, the 26-year-old winner of the 2024 Professional Footballers’ Association Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award, is relishing his new role as a senior figure in the squad. “I am enjoying the new coaching and stuff, the way we are playing and the things we do with them in training,” Foden expressed. “I am just really excited for the season, and hopefully, we can have a really good year.”
Foden, who has been with Manchester City since 2017, is embracing the responsibility that comes with experience. “I think what he [Maresca] wants from me is to try and be an example to the young lads at the moment on tour,” Foden explained. “I have been at the club for so long. I think I will have to be one of the leaders this season. I am looking forward to that new responsibility and trying to take leadership.”
Midfield depth will be tested in Seoul, especially with Rodri sidelined by minor back surgery. Mateo Kovacic, who managed just nine appearances last season due to Achilles and ankle injuries, is eager to step up. The Croatian international, linked with a potential move to Serie A, made his intentions clear: “I didn’t feel the question marks from them. I spoke with them, it was that they count on me, which was important for me to hear that from them. And now, like I said, for the players it’s always on you to show your best version, because if you are playing good, the manager will put you first.”
Maresca echoed a pragmatic approach regarding Kovacic’s future: “Mateo is our player, until the day he is here I will try all my best. It is my duty to try to help players give their best. If he is here I am happy and we will continue to work with him.” Kovacic, who played 45 minutes against Inter Milan, is expected to feature alongside Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez, and eventually Elliot Anderson. The Croatian praised Anderson’s potential: “I think a lot of quality, a lot of physicality because he has shown that he is capable of running a lot, being good on the ball, being good off the ball. He is young, so he can improve a lot still at City, and I think it’s a great signing for us.”
City’s only signing so far this summer is Anderson, secured for a club-record £116 million from Nottingham Forest. The club has shown interest in Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, but no further business has been completed. Director of football Hugo Viana and chief executive Ferran Soriano are both in South Korea, monitoring the transfer market. “We just try to speak day by day to see if we need to do something,” Maresca told reporters. “For sure there are things we need to do. The reason why I said there are things to do is because the transfer window is open and when it’s open anything can happen. It’s just August and then from September when it closes it will be different.” Still, Maresca noted, “Fortunately, this is a squad that doesn’t need to do many things. At the same time, as we already know, the squad lost important players in experience, like Bernardo [Silva], John [Stones] and Nathan [Ake]—different players.”
Manchester City’s preseason opponents, Team K League, bring together some of the best talent from South Korea’s top division, including Jordanian defender Yazan Al-Arab and veteran midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng. Last year, the K-League All Stars claimed a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in this annual showcase—proof that City can expect a stern test.
As the Maresca era dawns, Manchester City’s visit to Seoul is more than a preseason detour—it’s a statement of intent, a test of depth, and a chance for new leaders to emerge. With the Premier League campaign looming and the transfer window still open, every minute on the pitch could shape the season to come. The football world will be watching as City’s next chapter begins under the bright lights—and soaring temperatures—of Seoul.