Rodri was the standout. The report rates him as the competition’s outstanding player, reinforcing his established importance to City’s control, rhythm and authority in major matches.
Anderson has made a different kind of gain. The report says he started well for England and played under a reported £116m valuation without appearing overawed. His positioning still offered opponents occasional openings, so the key question is whether his energy and reading translate smoothly into City’s midfield structure.
That makes Anderson’s return one of the more intriguing storylines around the club. His tournament raised expectations, but it did not remove the need for adaptation.
The report credits Marc Guehi with growing into the tournament and describes Ruben Dias as one of Portugal’s better performers after an injury-disrupted start. Mateo Kovacic also offered encouragement, looking fresh for Croatia after a difficult year.
There were less decisive returns elsewhere:
Those cases leave City with selection questions rather than clear conclusions. Tournament minutes matter, but so does how convincingly players impose themselves when opportunities arrive.
Rodri returns with the strongest possible endorsement, while Anderson appears to have strengthened his case for a significant role. Reijnders, O’Reilly and Cherki face a different task: turning frustration into a response once club football resumes.
The next storyline will be whether World Cup momentum carries into Manchester City’s first run of fixtures, particularly when competition for midfield and attacking places intensifies.