Pep Guardiola exaggerated this incident as the chance of a lifetime. Manchester City have grasped this and now sit on top of the world; Their era of sovereignty is crowned with the only border they have not yet conquered. Like their semi-final victory over Urawa Reds, this elimination of Fluminense was a slight risk and the fact that European teams have won the last 11 rounds of the Club World Cup raises its own questions about the direction of the sport. But City were not about to bother with that: last week provided a palate cleanser of their domestic woes and a reminder that theirs remains the standard to be achieved.
“The best team in the country and in the whole world,” read a banner that instantly lit up on the sidelines of the Etihad Stadium 3,000 miles away, evoking a favorite hymn from one of his faithful. It can now be said without the slightest hint of irony or pretense. City are masters of frictionless, ice-blooded victory and it was telling that the only real tension on a sweltering night came after the final whistle when Felipe Melo sent Kyle Walker into a scrap, one of the few past explosions in Fluminense’s squad. This briefly spread to other players and officials on both sides.
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Melo had been preparing for the fight ever since the game began to take away from the enterprising Fluminense, who responded promisingly to defeat Julián Álvarez within a minute but had little hope of keeping the score down. City returned home, Álvarez completing his own remarkable drive by completing the rout late. He was world champion with Argentina almost exactly a year ago, and even though he’s only 23, he’ll need a room full of trophy cases at this rate. He guides Fluminense to South American products such as vaunted midfielder André, who has shown some nice touches.
Gianni Infantino took to the stage to present City with their silverware. The sport has bequeathed a long-standing relationship with Saudi Arabia, and as fireworks exploded over the stadium and light rain dispersed the stifling heat, it was no wonder how the country would evolve as a destination when it hosts the World Cup in 2034. Comfortable enough but difficult to access from Jeddah city centre, the stadium was not fully occupied and will face intense scrutiny on many fronts when full details of the Saudi bid are revealed next year.
One day there will also be intense interest in the 115 accusations of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, which have cast a shadow over City’s achievements. However, Guardiola’s team could only play the game expected of them here and took the lead 39 seconds after the kick-off. If Fluminense had offered their rivals an early opening, they certainly would not have expected the generosity to be former Real Madrid legend Marcelo, who is aiming to win this competition for the fifth time.
What came in Nathan Aké’s path was the master’s ill-advised pass towards the midfield from his left-back position, and the shot chance was too tempting to pass up. Carrying the ball forward, the full-back measured a 25-yard effort against the inside of Fábio’s post; A shot from the 43-year-old goalkeeper fell perfectly for the recalled Álvarez, who belly-butted the rebound over the line from a few yards.
Fluminense are known for their audacity under Fernando Diniz and caused City problems for a time with bold moves that, in some cases, started inside their own six-yard area. They did not compromise for anyone and it was in their best interest. Had Germán Cano not strayed offside by a shoulder width, he might have won a penalty from Ederson and given them the chance to equalise. Before half-time the city goalkeeper was required to make a stunning one-handed save from Nino’s header.
Unfortunately, centre-back Nino mistimed the ball recently. City were starting to take back control of the game and danger was beckoning when Rodri found Phil Foden wide on the left side of the Fluminense penalty area. Foden looked torn between passing and shooting but his drilled ball became an assist when it looped over Nino and into Fábio’s far corner.
The game was essentially over, but if Guardiola was squeamish he could have observed that his side had given Fluminense more chances to swagger than they might have wanted. There was no such criticism in the second half, as Foden immediately claimed two saves from Fábio and City took full control, wearing down Urawa. Eighteen minutes from the end Álvarez crossed meaningfully from the left and the dashing Foden converted emphatically. He applied the final shine with a low drive towards the end.
So City were crowned and the life of this interesting seven-team tournament came to an end. If they want to finish at the top of a 32-man field, it will be seven games and a month from 2025. Such a mind-boggling summer schedule actually makes negotiating a new challenge, but for now City have it all.