Guardiola becomes the most successful coach in the history of the Club World Cup and the first to win it with three different teams. Julian Alvarez adds to a superb list of honours.
Julián Álvarez continues to write an extraordinary story with Pep Guardiola, the first coach to win the Club World Cup with three different teams and the only one to have won it four times. He won it with Barcelona (2009 and 2011), then with Bayern (2013) and now with Manchester City after beating Marcelo’s Fluminense in the final. He thus breaks the records held by Pep and Carlo Ancelotti, who won all three World Cup titles with two clubs: Milan (2007) and Real Madrid (2014 and 2022).
The path to victory was cleared by Marcelo with a misplaced pass that ended in Julián Álvarez’s goal after 38 seconds, the fastest goal in the history of the tournament. When others are just taking their first steps in the elite, the Argentinian striker completes an extraordinary record. At the age of 23, he has already won the World Cup, the Copa America, the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores and this Club World Cup. In all of history, only the Brazilians Dida and Cafu had managed to win all five trophies, as Julián has now, and he finished off the victory over Fluminense with the fourth goal. Since arriving in 2022, Julián Álvarez has scored goals in all six competitions he has played for Manchester City: Premier League, League Cup, FA CUP, Champions League, Community Shield and Club World Cup.
Cafú won the Copa Libertadores (1992 and 1993) and the Intercontinental (1992 and 1993) with Sao Paulo; two World Cups (1994 and 2002) and two America Cups (1997 and 1999) with Brazil; and the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2007 with Milan. The Italian team was coached by Ancelotti and its goalkeeper was Dida, who, in addition to the 2007 Champions and Club World Cup, also won the 2003 Champions League with the red-and-black team. With Cruzeiro he won the 1997 Libertadores, with Brazil the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, and with Corinthians the 2000 Club World Cup.
By winning the Champions League last June, Julián Álvarez reached a level never before achieved by an Argentinian footballer. Julián became the first player from his country to win the World Cup and the Champions League in the same season. He was also the first to add the Copa America and the Copa Libertadores to those two titles. He previously won the Libertadores with River Plate in 2018, the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022 with Argentina.
This exceptional list of honours is completed by a Recopa Sudamericana (2019), a Copa Argentina (2019), a Supercopa Argentina (2019), a Torneo de Primera División (2021), a Trofeo de Campeones (2021), a Premier League (2023), an FA Cup (2023), a South American Pre-Olympic with Argentina (2020) and the Finalissima (2022).
Manchester City sweep Fluminense to win the tournament
Reigning European champions Manchester City showed no mercy at the 2023 Club World Cup. The Skyblues beat Marcelo’s Fluminense 4-0 on Friday to win their first-ever Club World Cup.
Manchester City got off to a flying start in the final, with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring inside the first minute, and then made it 2-0 on 27 minutes thanks to a Nino CSC. In a slightly dominated final, Pep Guardiola’s charges held on to their lead until the break. In the second half, Phil Foden stunned Fluminense in the 72nd minute with a Julian Alvarez free-kick. Quietly, the Citizens went on to clinch the title, and even added to their tally in the 88th minute, when Alvarez was named man of the match.
Manchester City won their first ever Club World Cup trophy with a 4-0 victory. The Skyblues can only hope that this triumph will put them back on a positive trend in the Premier League.
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