Manchester City’s growth over the last decade has been almost unprecedented. Let’s take a look at how big the club could possibly become.
Has your mind ever wandered to how big a football team could actually become? If so, then it probably settles on a side as formidable as Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winners, boasting the commercial lure of Real Madrid’s Galacticos, and the financial clout of Manchester City’s Sheikhs.
But that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the footballing behemoth we are about to envision. WARNING: if you are not a nerd then you should probably click off now.
To aid our imaginations, let’s mirror one of science fiction’s most mind-boggling conceptualizations: The Kardashev Scale. The hypothetical scale measures how technologically advanced a civilization could become and makes flying cars and hyperloops seem as rudimental as Pong and VCR.
Us humans are currently at about .72 on the three type scale. If we translate that to footballing terms, Manchester City are at about the same level.
So strap yourself in, because we are about to blast out of the stratosphere and go galactic.
Type 1 – English powerhouse
The Kardashev scale ranks a civilization by how much energy it consumes – it’s fair to surmise the more energy a civilization consumes the more technologically advanced it becomes. A Type 1 civilization has complete control over all the energy resources of its host planet. As already mentioned humans are about three-quarters of the way there.
This one seems pretty simple to translate to the footballing world. Manchester City would have to win everything in its domestic league.
This doesn’t seem too far-fetched. City set a plethora of records on their way to the title last year and have a genuine chance of a domestic treble this term.
Type 2 – European dominance
Once we have complete control over our planet’s energy, we will begin to look outwards – specifically towards that giant, glowing ball of energy in the sky.
Yes, a Type 2 civilization harnesses the energy from its host star using a hypothetical device known as a Dyson sphere – a structure of solar panels orbiting the sun. Sci-fi loves these things and if you are curious about how one could actually be constructed then check out this video.
As Manchester City grows more and more dominant on home soil, so does the desire to conquer Europe. Last night’s gallant performance in Germany was certainly a step in the right direction as the club looks to stretch its supremacy over the continent.
The closest any club has come to reaching Type 2 is Alfredo Di Stefano’s Madrid side that won five successive European Cups. Although they were still a few decimals short, as they surrendered the majority of La Liga titles and Copa del Reys during that period.
Type 3 – Global footballing Gods
A Type 3, galactic civilization doesn’t just harness the energy of its host star, but controls the entire energy output from the billions of stars and planets that make up its galaxy. The inhabitants would dismantle whole planets at a whim, deal galactic real estate, and seem almost godlike to us mere earthlings.
So, how does a club compete with that? City’s dominance would have to stretch much further than football’s perceived limitations and grow a brand more recognizable than the likes of Apple, Google, and Coca Cola.
The creation of a European Super League would be a good place to start. While it may not be in the best interests of regular English patrons, it is for the global commercial appeal of the game and I suspect the Man City owners would be at the forefront of those in favor.
Furthermore, football, or soccer, would have to become the undisputed number one sport for every household in North America – something the 2026 World Cup could help usher in such a direction.
As football dominates new markets, one club will have to lead the way and Manchester City have an advantage over its rivals: The City Football Group. Apart from an endless supply of wealth, the group currently owns, or part owns, clubs in America (New York City FC), Australia (Melbourne City FC), Japan (Yokohama F. Marinos), Uruguay (Club Atletico Torque), and Spain (Girona FC), as it creates a sporting dynasty like the world has never seen before.
These have all been recent purchases and the acquisitions of more clubs (specifically in Ecuador, China, and India) are rumored to be afoot. The group has stated it wants to own a team in every continent, but at this rate the rapidly expanding model looks more likely to cover every country.
If that was the case, then the company’s flagship, Man City, could easily vacuum the brightest young talents, coaches, and any valuable football resource, straight to Manchester from every corner of the globe.
By the time all this comes to fruition we would likely have colonized Mars, so you can add The Galactic Cup to the club’s long list of yearly honors – bringing a whole new meaning to ‘away days.’
Hey, it’s not bad for a team that would supposedly be in League Two without the Sheikhs’ money.