Record-breaking Man City thrash Fluminese to win the Club World Cup
Described as a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity by Pep Guardiola, any suggestion of complacency from the European favourites was swiftly dismissed ahead of kick-off.
Their South American opponents were equally up for it but their determination to play out from the back cost them dearly in the opening minute, with a turnover high up the pitch from veteran Marcelo leaving Flu exposed.
Nathan Aké drove toward goal and unleashed a fierce strike that was tipped onto the post by Fábio, yet there was nothing the 43-year-old could do to stop Julián Álvarez’s improvised chest down into an empty net.
The Brazilian side began to gain a foothold in the contest, seemingly winning a penalty when Ederson brought down Germán Cano in the box, only for play to be brought back for an offside. However, as the half-hour mark approached, Fernando Diniz’s side were dealt another major blow when they fell two goals behind.
This time, Rúben Dias was the City centre-back involved, fizzing a ball into Phil Foden, whose attempted pass was inadvertently looped into his own net by a sliding Nino.
A bystander for much of the half, Ederson produced a stunning reaction save to deny Jhon Arias’ header before Jack Grealish forced a stop from Fábio to conclude the first period.
Predictably, City were firmly in control after the break, keeping the ball well against a side who appeared visibly worn down from long domestic and continental campaigns.
An inventive set-piece routine almost resulted in a third goal for the English side, with Foden forcing a save out of the Brazilian stopper before finding the net in the 72nd minute with a sliding finish from Álvarez’s pick-out.
Half-time introduction John Kennedy proved to be a bright spark for Flu, dribbling past City players at will and troubling Ederson late on.
Nonetheless, City rounded off the scoring when Álvarez netted his second, displaying a neat touch before driving low into the corner.
Ultimately, a dream year for Fluminense in which they lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy for the first time ends without a fourth trophy in 12 months, falling short against an evidently superior team. City have now won 18 of their last 23 cup fixtures (D3, L2), picking up four trophies during that period.
Victory sees Guardiola’s side write themselves into the history books, becoming the first English club to simultaneously hold the Premier League, UCL, UEFA Super Cup, and the FCWC titles.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Julián Álvarez (Manchester City)
