Sports Desk, Dec 23 (EFE).- Manchester City beat Fluminense 4-0 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday to win the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time and end the year with an incredible fifth trophy.
Fluminense’s Jhon Arias (L) in action against Manchester City’s Nathan Ake (R) during the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 final match between Manchester City and Fluminense FC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 22 December 2023. EFE/EPA/ALI HAIDER
The first coach to win four Club World Cup titles – two others with Barcelona and one with Bayern Munich – Spanish coach Pep Guardiola also led City to the Champions League, Premier League, English FA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup this year.
The fourth Premier League club to win the World Cup after Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United dominated Fluminense from the beginning of the final, leaving a South American side still waiting for the title since Corinthians won it in 2012.
Guardiola admitted that his latest Club World Cup triumph was just as special as the last.
“All of them are special… [but] the last one is special because Manchester City had never participated in it, the first time we did it and that gives us incredible satisfaction,” City’s website quoted him as saying.
“It’s a trophy where we won’t do a parade in Manchester, but I said to the players ‘this trophy, you will remember forever.'”
“It’s a trophy which means you’re the best team for one year in the world. That’s something that’s unique and special. It’s really, really cool,” he said.
Julian Alvarez scored two of City’s four goals, the first one just 40 seconds into the match, the fastest goal in a Club World Cup final.
The Argentinian World Cup winner chested the ball home after Nathan Ake’s came off the post.
The goal calmed Guardiola’s team, accustomed to handling finals of this type, while it upset the Libertadores champions, who rushed in search of a draw that did not come.
City did not take much time to score their second, just before the half-hour mark as defender Nino put the ball into his own net after a Phil Foden pass intended for Jack Grealish or Alvarez.
It was Foden who scored City’s third goal in the 72nd minute when he received a wonderful pass from the left, inside the area, from Álvarez as he beat goalkeeper Fabio to seal the contest.
Alvarez closed the scoring in the 90th minute after he received a pass from the right from Matheus Nunes to add another trophy to his already remarkable career at the age of 23 that has a World Cup, Copa America, and Copa Libertadores, along with five trophies this year.
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