The 55-year-old Spaniard left Manchester City following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the season, bringing the curtain down on an era that produced 17 major honours, including six Premier League titles and the club's first Champions League.
Guardiola will not be moving immediately back into management. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed he is taking on a senior technical advisory role within City Football Group, working across the organisation's network of clubs — a position similar to the one Jürgen Klopp currently holds at Red Bull.
But the desire to eventually lead a national team is not new. Guardiola has spoken since at least 2018 about wanting to manage at international level, and when asked about the England job at various points during his City tenure, he consistently declined to rule it out.
Jack Gaughan, reporting for the Daily Mail and speaking to Sky Sports, said: "He has told friends that he would fancy England in the future, so if things were to align that would be something to look out for."
Gaughan also cautioned that Guardiola's eldest daughter had posted what read as a farewell to football in the past tense during the City send-off events, which he interpreted as consistent with a retirement letter rather than a short break.
The obstacle for now is straightforward. England head coach Thomas Tuchel is contracted until 2028 and showed no sign of departing as recently as this spring. For the England job to become available, the World Cup — which England will contest this summer — would need to produce an early exit and a decision to part ways.
At City, Guardiola oversaw a period without precedent in English football. He led the club to four consecutive Premier League titles between 2018 and 2022, and added the Champions League in 2023 as part of a historic treble.
He said in his farewell remarks: "I am so tired. Seriously, I am so tired. I did everything. We did it."
Whether that tiredness proves temporary — and whether the England job opens up — will shape what comes next for one of the most decorated club managers the game has seen.