Manchester City clinched their first-ever Club World Cup title, capping off 2023 with five trophies in their collection after a commanding 4-0 victory over Brazil’s Fluminense in Jeddah on December 22, 2023. The celebratory scenes unfolded at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium as the City team raised the coveted trophy.
City’s dominance in the final was evident from the outset, with Julian Alvarez netting the opening goal within the first minute. Fluminense’s hopes of an upset were realistically dashed with a first-half own goal by Nino. Phil Foden and Alvarez sealed the victory with additional goals in the final 20 minutes of the match.
The outcome highlighted the sustained supremacy of European clubs in the Club World Cup since 2012, with City’s win extending the streak to 22 consecutive victories for European teams. Despite concerns about City’s Premier League form before their journey to Saudi Arabia, they demonstrated their prowess, underscoring the significant financial imbalances in global football that have widened the gap between Europe’s elite clubs and the rest of the world.
In the semi-final, City faced a challenging task against Japan’s Urawa Reds but secured a 3-0 win after a slow start. However, in the final against Fluminense, they wasted no time, requiring less than 45 seconds to make an impact.
Fluminense’s seasoned players, who navigated a tough semi-final against African champions Al Ahly, faltered in the final. A wayward pass by former Real Madrid captain Marcelo gifted possession to Nathan Ake, who capitalized on the opportunity by scoring with a fine effort from outside the box. Alvarez capitalized on the rebound, chesting the ball into an unguarded net.
At just 23 years old, Alvarez added another accolade to his impressive collection of silverware, which includes the World Cup and Copa America with Argentina, the Copa Libertadores with River Plate, and various domestic and international titles during his tenure with Manchester City.