In the midst of the Club World Cup final, Haaland receives the worst news of the year

With no room for surprise or suspense, and with Julián Álvarez opening and sealing the score, Manchester City were crowned the best team in the world after beating Fluminense (4-0), thus culminating a dream year with five titles in their trophy cabinet and the addition of the Club World Cup. A goal from the Argentinian striker, also World Cup winner with the Albiceleste, with only 40 seconds gone, and goals from Nino in his own goal (27), Phil Foden (72) and again Alvarez (88) were enough for the Citizens to add this crown to the Champions League, the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the European Super Cup, won this year by the team led by Pep Guardiola.

"I am very happy, I have the feeling that we have closed a chapter, we have won all the titles, the job is done," said Guardiola. The Citizens thus retained the world title for the European representative in the last edition of the tournament in the format in which it has been played continuously since 2005, before the move in 2025 to a quadrennial competition with 32 teams. Yesterday the King Abdullah Sports City stadium had 52,000 spectators in the stands to close in grand style.

The big absence for the Citizens in this match was Norwegian striker Erling Haaland who is still recovering from injury and was unable to play a single minute of this tournament. Although he was able to celebrate the title, in the middle of the game he received one of the worst news of the year for him and it will surely bruise his ego. 

Cristiano ruins Haaland

While Manchester City were playing in Jeddah against Fluminense, a few miles away Cristiano Ronaldo ruined Haaland as he scored for Al Nassr from the penalty spot against Al Ettifaq to reach 51 goals for the year, passing the Norwegian as the world's top scorer so far in 2023 and due to the City player's injury, he will not have a chance to score again for the rest of the year.