Man City pre-season fixtures: Schedule, how to watch and kickoff times

For the first time in a decade, Manchester City are preparing for a new campaign without Pep Guardiola at the helm after the legendary Catalan coach bid farewell to the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Guardiola steered the Citizens to an EFL Cup and FA Cup double before leaving at the end of May, and he has since been replaced by his former assistant coach Enzo Maresca.

The Italian is tasked with knocking Arsenal off their perch at the Premier League summit as Man City seek to avoid a third successive season without winning the top-flight title.

Man City have already made a statement of intent in the summer transfer window with the club-record £116m capture of England international midfielder Elliot Anderson, and more fresh faces are expected to arrive at the Etihad before the new campaign gets underway.

Once again, Man City will make the trip abroad this summer, and here, Sports Mole runs through everything you need to know about their 2026-27 pre-season.

Who are Man City playing in pre-season?

Man City have finalised their pre-season schedule, with three fixtures taking place during a summer tour of Asia.

The Citizens will begin their tour with a trip to Hong Kong to face Inter Milan in a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final, which Guardiola’s side won 1-0 in Istanbul to become European champions for the first time as well as complete a historic treble.

Maresca’s first match as Man City manager will be followed by an encounter with a K-League All Stars side at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea, before locking horns with Atletico Madrid four days later.

Both fixtures are part of the 2026 Coupang Play Series, which first launched in 2022 and has established itself as South Korea’s premier sports festival, hosting games between some of the world’s biggest clubs and the K-League All-Stars.

Only twice previously have Man City played in Seoul, first in 1976 with legendary players including Alan Oakes and Glyn Pardoe, and most recently in 2023 when they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid.

The Citizens will then head back to the UK for the Community Shield against Arsenal, which will be staged at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, rather than Wembley, on August 16 – a week before they kick-start the new Premier League season at home to Bournemouth.

How can I watch Man City's pre-season fixtures?

All of Man City's pre-season fixtures will be shown live on the club's CITY+ streaming platform.

A CITY+ Premium content subscription costs £9.99 per month or £34.99 annually, while existing Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for a discounted rate of £30.

Who will play for Man City in pre-season?

© Imago / Action Plus

As many as 17 Man City players were called up to represent their country at the 2026 World Cup and several of those are likely to miss the beginning of pre-season, instead taking a well-earned break.

Those who were eliminated early from the tournament are now enjoying a period of rest and may link up with Maresca’s squad in time for their opening pre-season match against Inter.

However, those who are still striving for World Cup glory may join up with Man City at a later date, including England quartet Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, James Trafford and new recruit Anderson, who - at the time of writing - are all gearing up for the quarter-finals.

The likes of Phil Foden, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho and Rico Lewis, who have all had the summer off after they did not earn a World Cup call-up, should be ready and raring to go for pre-season as they bid to make an impression under Maresca.

Younger players including Sverre Nypan, Vitor Reis, Claudio Echeverri and Max Alleyne could also be included in Maresca’s squad, while it remains to be seen whether Jack Grealish will be reintegrated after spending last season on loan at Everton.