The very last one. Seven years of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have completed it, this old game.

Conquerors of the world, champions of all before them, history made in Saudi Arabia the icing on Istanbul. Nobody else from these shores has ever won the big five trophies in a single year.

And so, in captain Kyle Walker’s quieter moments, he may reflect on where this City team stand in the pantheon of greats. Earlier in the week he maintained they still lie behind Manchester United but Sir Alex Ferguson never managed a year of dominance like this.

They still need to pick up more Premier League titles, lift another Champions League, to best the longevity argument with their old foes. Yet as a group of players over a natural cycle? Guardiola’s lot must lay claim to that honour. ‘If they still talk about us in 25 years it means we were really good,’ he said. ‘What we’ve done is unbelievable.’

The eventual outcome of some Premier League charges will dictate their ability to lengthen this spell of dominance but, and this is a crucial point, try taking the experiences of 2023 away from supporters who created memories everywhere they went across Europe and now further afield.

Kyle Walker lifts the Club World Cup trophy after Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 win over Fluminense in the final

Kyle Walker lifts the Club World Cup trophy after Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 win over Fluminense in the final

Kyle Walker lifts the Club World Cup trophy after Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 win over Fluminense in the final

Walker and goalscorer Phil Foden celebrate with the trophy and medals in Saudi Arabia

Walker and goalscorer Phil Foden celebrate with the trophy and medals in Saudi Arabia

Walker and goalscorer Phil Foden celebrate with the trophy and medals in Saudi Arabia 

Manager Pep Guardiola savours the historic night as he holds the trophy with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Manager Pep Guardiola savours the historic night as he holds the trophy with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Manager Pep Guardiola savours the historic night as he holds the trophy with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak

However it was built – with the best coach ever, with a stellar squad – this really has been a time for them, the guys who were there in 1983 against Luton Town, there at York City in the third division. Last night they marvelled at an academy product, Phil Foden, running the game.

Even allowing for the end result, beating Fluminense – facing a style like no other in stifling Middle Eastern heat – was no picnic. None of the finals have been: United gave them a run in the FA Cup, Inter might’ve snatched an equaliser in the Champions League and Sevilla only went down on penalties in the Super Cup. The notion that City find all this ridiculously easy is plain wrong.

Guardiola started talking about how a quintuple means a chapter closing afterwards and, for one fleeting moment, it sounded as if he was packing it all in. He is not and, given how City looked so ready for this, will fill him with more hunger.

Led by Walker, a few key protagonists prowled in the tunnel as they went to warm up with temperatures still touching 30 degrees. It never really cools down in the winter here, something to keep in mind when the world descends on this country at this time of year for the 2034 World Cup.

Julian Alvarez scored the first after 40 seconds before adding City's fourth in the 88th minute

Julian Alvarez scored the first after 40 seconds before adding City's fourth in the 88th minute

Julian Alvarez scored the first after 40 seconds before adding City’s fourth in the 88th minute

City got their second of the evening when Foden forced Nino into an own goal

City got their second of the evening when Foden forced Nino into an own goal

City got their second of the evening when Foden forced Nino into an own goal

Foden wheeled away in celebration after grabbing the third goal for City in the 72nd minute

Foden wheeled away in celebration after grabbing the third goal for City in the 72nd minute

Foden wheeled away in celebration after grabbing the third goal for City in the 72nd minute

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson 6; Walker 7.5, Stones 8 (Gvardiol 75), Dias 7, Ake 8; Rodri 8.5 (Akanji 74, 6); Silva 6.5, Lewis 6.5 (Kovacic 61, 7), Foden 9, Grealish 7.5; Alvarez 8.5

Subs not used: Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Alleyne, Susoho, Hamilton

Goals: Alvarez 1, 88, Nino OG 27, Foden 72 

Manager: Pep Guardiola 8

Fluminense (4-2-3-1): Fabio 6; Samuel 5.5, Nino 5, Melo 6 (Mendanha 60, 6), Marcelo 5.5 (Alexsander 60, 6); Andre 5; Martinelli 7; Keno 6 (Kennedy 46, 7), Ganso 5.5 (Lima 60, 6), Arias 7; Cano 7

Subs not used: Rangel, Eudes, Marlon, Daniel, Gomes, Santos, Gonzalez, David

Manager: Fernando Diniz 7

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL) 7

Att: 52,601

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Walker’s been doing a few team bonding bits around their gated base right on the Red Sea, over the way from King Fahad’s Fountain. Most noticeably a games night last Sunday, for those who didn’t fancy watching Manchester United’s draw at Anfield. And there were a few of those.

They haven’t been out much this week, so Walker’s event was a bit of fun to keep things light, in contrast to that tunnel. Guardiola, suited in a rare show of formal dress, saw them out as Jeddah was treated to its second ever airing of the Inspiral Carpets, the first coming before Tuesday’s semi-final.

This is how it feels to be City now. Favourite in Club World Cup finals, with a Treble safely in the locker. For all the talk of their stranglehold on European football, does it really get any better than this for the few hundred who travelled the 3,100 miles to witness this? Even if the elite trophies keep coming. This has been 12 months like no other. This will always be their year.

City were out, stern faces, as Fluminense’s substitute goalkeeper Pedro Rangel was reduced to tears as the goalkeeping department stood in prayer in front of their end of boisterous travelling support.

Emotion is what fuels Fluminense, that and Fernando Diniz’s tactical eccentricity where positions go out of the window. Despite Guardiola’s insistence that you cannot play a final of this magnitude without emotion, City’s job was to quash that.

On the contrary, scoring within 41 seconds didn’t actually help in that regard. Julian Alvarez’s chest bundled into Fabio’s net after Marcelo’s expansive switch gifted cheap possession to Nathan Ake, who curled into the post. Alvarez, played onside by Andre, gleefully accepted the rebound.

It ignited something inside the Brazilians. Operating with a jeopardy akin to Guardiola’s first season, they had City looking uneasy for a spell. Ederson felled German Cano for a certain penalty, only for it to be brought back for offside, and City were struggling to track runners. 

‘Who in the world was able to out-pass Manchester City for 15 minutes?’ Diniz asked. ‘We did it.’

The result may have come at a cost as Rodri was forced off through injury after a needless tackle from Alexsander

The result may have come at a cost as Rodri was forced off through injury after a needless tackle from Alexsander

The result may have come at a cost as Rodri was forced off through injury after a needless tackle from Alexsander

Pep Guardiola watched his side cruise to a big win and claim their fifth major trophy of 2023

Pep Guardiola watched his side cruise to a big win and claim their fifth major trophy of 2023

Pep Guardiola watched his side cruise to a big win and claim their fifth major trophy of 2023

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, with a show every Monday and Thursday this season.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

 

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Then City had their turn, going two up. Happily recycling possession, Jack Grealish and Rodri drew out Premier League target Andre who, in breaking ranks, forgot about Foden. Foden was in, squaring for Alvarez, only for the unfortunate Nino to divert past Fabio.

Fabio, 43, was on Vasco De Gama’s books when they beat United in the first Club World Cup at the turn of the millennium, and could only watch as Foden slid in Alvarez’s cross with 18 minutes left, the Argentine later driving home his second.

City had quietened their quirky adversaries, retaining far more ball and dodging wild tackles as the night wore on, in a way we expect of them yet has recently lacked. Over, finished, history. 

Walker and Felipe Melo briefly fought on full time – and Guardiola will now need more of that as they go back to battling on other fronts.

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