Nico O’Reilly on meteoric Man City and England rise: “I have to pinch myself, it’s all happened so fast” | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly has described representing England at the FIFA World Cup as a dream come true, reflecting on a remarkable rise that has taken him from Premier League debut to global stage in the space of just eighteen months.

The 21-year-old is part of Thomas Tuchel‘s squad in North America after an outstanding season at Manchester City, over the course of which he scored nine goals, provided six assists and amassed 4,044 minutes of football in 53 appearances across all competitions.

O’Reilly also scored the difference making brace in City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley in March, with the performance widely regarded as the moment that announced him to a global audience.

The trajectory of his development has been extraordinary by any measure, with O’Reilly having made just nine top-flight starts the previous season before establishing himself as one of the first names on Guardiola’s teamsheet throughout the title run-in.

O’Reilly: Everything has happened so fast

Speaking to Manchester City’s official channels, O’Reilly reflected on how quickly his career has developed since making his senior breakthrough.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true,” he said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and for it to come true now, obviously I’m still young, I can’t wait to get started.

“Yes, I have to pinch myself a little bit. Everything has happened so fast. I made my Premier League debut last January. Since then, I have gone on and achieved good things at Man City. It’s led me to the World Cup.”

The reference to his Premier League debut in January 2025 captures the scale of what O’Reilly has achieved in such a short space of time, having gone from an emerging academy talent to one of the best young footballers in England in a single calendar year.

What is the wider context for O’Reilly’s World Cup involvement?

O’Reilly’s inclusion in Tuchel’s squad reflects the level of trust the England manager has placed in one of the most exciting young talents to emerge from the domestic game in recent years, with the City midfielder having earned his first senior cap in November 2025 before establishing himself as a regular fixture in the international setup.

His FIFA World Cup debut will come against a backdrop of significant change at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola having departed the Etihad Stadium after a decade and incoming manager Enzo Maresca preparing to take charge of a squad in which O’Reilly is expected to play a central role.

For a player who joined City’s academy as an eight-year-old and worked his way through every age group before breaking into the senior setup, the FIFA World Cup represents both the realisation of a childhood dream and a platform to show the world what has already been evident at the Etihad Stadium for the past eighteen months.