Haaland and Rodri miss Manchester City pre-season friendly in Seoul

Erling Haaland and Rodri were absent from Manchester City's pre-season friendly against Atlético Madrid at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on August 9, 2026. The club cited recovery and scheduled rest following both players' extended participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Manchester City travel to face Atlético Madrid after a mixed set of warm-up results: City beat the K-League All Stars 3-1 and began their preparations with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in early August, losing the subsequent penalty shootout 3-1. Atlético had lost 2-1 to Manchester United in their most recent friendly. City will conclude their pre-season programme with the Atlético match before contesting the FA Community Shield against Arsenal on August 16. Enzo Maresca's squad for the Asian trip also did not include Rayan Cherki, Marc Guehi, Elliot Anderson, and Nico O’Reilly.

The absences were attributed to prolonged World Cup campaigns and a conservative approach to fitness management by the club. Haaland played for Norway until the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Rodri featured for Spain and won the tournament.

Club regulations and FIFA–FIFPRO agreements were cited as reasons players who advanced to the later stages of the World Cup were given mandated rest before the start of the Premier League season. Manchester City omitted Haaland and Rodri from the initial travelling group to their Asian pre-season fixtures to reduce load on key personnel.

Rodri is also recovering from a recent back procedure and has been placed on a cautious recovery and pre-season training regimen, according to the club's reports. Haaland has been granted additional rest following his deep run with Norway at the World Cup.

The friendly took place at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, as part of Manchester City's Asian pre-season tour. The club will next travel to the FA Community Shield fixture against Arsenal on August 16.