Manchester City emerged victorious in the Club World Cup for the first time, securing a total of five trophies in 2023 after a convincing 4-0 triumph over Fluminense in Jeddah on Friday.
The dominance of European clubs in the competition since 2012 was further extended by City’s win, which was practically assured when Julian Alvarez scored within the first minute of the match.
Fluminense’s hopes of causing an upset were realistically dashed with an own goal in the first half, and City sealed their victory with goals from Phil Foden and Alvarez in the final 20 minutes.
Prior to their journey to Saudi Arabia, City’s lackluster performance in the Premier League had given Fluminense a glimmer of hope that Pep Guardiola’s team could be vulnerable. However, the match highlighted the growing gap between Europe’s top clubs and the rest of the world, largely due to significant financial disparities in the global game.
European clubs have now triumphed in 22 consecutive games at the Club World Cup.
In the semi-final, City struggled for 45 minutes to break down Japan’s Urawa Reds before eventually securing a comfortable 3-0 victory. However, this time, they needed less than a minute to take the lead.
Fluminense’s experienced players successfully navigated a challenging semi-final against African champions Al Ahly. Nevertheless, it was one of their seasoned heads, former Real Madrid captain Marcelo, who made a costly mistake leading to the opening goal. Marcelo’s errant pass gifted possession to Nathan Ake, who confidently struck a superb shot off the post from outside the box. The rebound fell perfectly for Alvarez to calmly chest the ball into an unguarded net.
At just 23 years old, Alvarez continues to amass an impressive collection of silverware, including the World Cup and Copa America with Argentina at the international level, the Copa Libertadores during his time at River Plate, and various domestic and European titles during his brief stint at City, such as the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup medals.
Fluminense suffered a devastating blow when their captain, Nino, inadvertently scored an own goal from Foden’s cross, thanks to Rodri’s well-placed pass that exposed the Brazilian defense.
Ederson was called into action to preserve City’s two-goal advantage before halftime, making a remarkable save from Jhon Arias’ header.
However, it was Fabio, Fluminense’s goalkeeper, who had a busier game. The 37-year-old managed to keep the scoreline respectable and prevent further embarrassment for his team.
Fabio made a crucial save, pushing Jack Grealish’s powerful strike behind just before halftime, and denied Foden twice early in the second half.
City comfortably controlled the game in the second half, securing a victorious end to a remarkable year. However, there was a potential downside to the win.
Rodri was forced off the field due to an injury with 20 minutes remaining. City has struggled in the Premier League this season whenever the influential Spanish midfielder has been absent, and they face a tough match against in-form Everton on December 27.
Nevertheless, this does not diminish the significance of the past 12 months, which have been the pinnacle of City’s success since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi 15 years ago.
After achieving an unprecedented treble last season, winning the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup, City added the UEFA Super Cup to their collection in August.
Guardiola also made history by becoming the first coach to win the Club World Cup four times, with three different clubs. He previously won the competition twice with Barcelona and once with Bayern Munich.
Alvarez played a crucial role in City’s third goal, delivering a driven cross that Foden expertly slid in to meet.
And in the final minutes of the game, the player filling in for the injured Erling Haaland, scored his 10th goal of the season, sealing the victory for City.
