'Want to wear that!' - How Man City can stay ahead of Ryan Reynolds & Wrexham in American fan battle with FIFA Club World Cup diverting attention away from NBA, MLB & NFL

An era of record-setting success at the Etihad Stadium has allowed City to expand their global fan base. Growth in that department has been most notable in the United States, where supporters are flocking to nail their colours to European masts.

City have swept up plenty, with summer tours to North America aiding that cause, and they will be back on U.S. soil for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Ultimate glory there would endear them to more locals and a generation of followers that are looking to be inspired.

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Hollywood stars Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been ticking that box at Wrexham, with an award-winning documentary series aiding their cause, while American football, baseball and basketball continue to dominate the sporting scene Stateside.

Quizzed on how City can claim a greater share of that pie, as they compete with domestic and global rivals, Shay Given - speaking in association with DAZN - told GOAL: "You can’t get a ticket at Wrexham at the moment, it’s crazy! It brings more interest to the Premier League.

"Going back to the World Cup in 94, you are always going to be fighting against the powerhouse sports in America. American fans are into American football, basketball, ice hockey - you can probably never change some of them.

"Some of the younger fans can be persuaded and are influenced more by what they see. Rodri getting his hands on the Club World Cup, that might put in their mind ‘the blue of Man City, I want to wear that’. You take that through your life. The club has grown, there is no doubt about that - the clubs they have all round the world now. It’s massive now, the City Group. It was one club when I was there, now there are 14 or 15 all around the world."

Given visited America with City as a player, during the early stages of their rapid rise to prominence, and added on how the club has grown in the United States since then: "I’ve not been back myself for a few years. It’s a different City now to what it was back then, there is no doubt about that.

"We were putting the foundations in for what you see today. It was the start of something major. Credit to Khladoon [Al Mubarak] and Sheikh Mansour because they said at the very start that they were in it for the long haul. At the time clubs were getting passed around, owners were coming and going, but Khaldoon was true to his word and said we are here for the long haul and want to make Man City one of the biggest clubs in world football.

"In this tournament, if they can get their hands on that, world champions. If you went back to that time when we were in America all those years ago, we’d have laughed at you. City have come so far. The owners have put so much into the club. Khaldoon and [Pep] Guardiola will want to get their hands on this first-time trophy."

City missed out on Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup honours in 2024-25. They can, however, become the first winners of the 32-team Club World Cup, with their quest to land that crown set to get underway when facing Wydad AC on June 18.

Shay Given was speaking ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Watch all 63 games live on DAZN for free.