Man City Q&A: How much is at stake in the US?

Before Manchester City's first match at the Club World Cup against Wydad AC on Wednesday, we put your questions to Shamoon Hafez, our football news reporter covering the Blues out in the United States.

Here are some of his answers on how the competition could benefit City:

Jack asked: What is the financial reward for not only competing, but winning or placing highly in the Club World Cup?

Shamoon: The tournament might not be to everyone's liking but there is some big bucks - as they say over here - to be taken home, especially by the European clubs.

Negotiations with Fifa means your likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and co will earn more than counterparts from other continents.

There is a mammoth £775m prize pot split between the 32 teams, with the tournament winner earning up to £97m, so a place in the competition is not to be sniffed at, even if it is supposedly causing issues in the fixture calendar. Fifa sources dismissed such suggestion when I put it to them on Friday.

Jamal asked: What are City's chances of winning the Club World Cup?

Shamoon: Despite City's issues last season when they failed to win a trophy, I would put them as one of the favourites to win the tournament - purely because they are close to a full bill of health. Rodri is back from his serious knee injury and Erling Haaland will be fresh after a spell out last term.

However, City need to come top of their group to increase their chances of avoiding an early exit - and their placing in Group G is likely to come down to that third game against Juventus.

A first-place finish will probably mean facing either Al Hilal or Red Bull Salzburg in the last 16. If they are runners-up, it would probably be a tough task against Real Madrid in the last 16 and a possible an early trip back home.

Real, though, will be in the mix in the latter stages and I expect Bayern Munich - after their 10-0 demolition of Auckland City - and Champions League winners Paris St-Germain to go far too.

Check back at 12:00 for the next part of the Q&A.