The very last. Seven years of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have completed it, this old game.
Conquerors of the world, champions of all before them, history in Saudi Arabia was the icing on the cake in Istanbul. No one else on these shores has ever won the five major trophies in one year.
And so, in captain Kyle Walker's quieter moments, he can reflect on where this City team stands in the pantheon of greats. Earlier this week he claimed they are still behind Manchester United, but Sir Alex Ferguson has never managed a year of dominance like this.
They still need to win more Premier League titles and win another Champions League to break the sustainability argument with their old enemies. But do we experience a natural cycle as a group of players? Guardiola's fate must lay claim to that honour. “If they're still talking about us in 25 years, that means we were really good,” he said. “What we've done is incredible.”
The ultimate outcome of a number of Premier League charges will determine their ability to extend this period of dominance, but – and this is a crucial point – try to take away the experiences of 2023 from the supporters across Europe and now also creating memories outside of it.
Kyle Walker lifts the Club World Cup trophy after Manchester City beat Fluminense 4-0 in the final
Walker and goalscorer Phil Foden celebrate with the trophy and medals in Saudi Arabia
Manager Pep Guardiola enjoys the historic evening as he holds the trophy with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak
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However it was built – with the best coach ever, with a great squad – this really was a time for them, the boys who were there in 1983 against Luton Town, there in York City in the third division. Last night they were amazed at an academy product, Phil Foden, managing the game.
Even taking the end result into account, beating Fluminense – faced with a style like no other in the stifling heat of the Middle East – was no easy feat. None of the finals have happened: United got them a point in the FA Cup, Inter might have got an equalizer in the Champions League and Sevilla only went down on penalties in the Super Cup. The idea that City find this all ridiculously easy is just plain wrong.
Guardiola started talking about how a fivefold means closing a chapter afterwards, and for a fleeting moment it sounded like he was wrapping it all up. He isn't, and given that City looked so ready, he will be filled with more hunger. .
Led by Walker, a few key players sneaked through the tunnel as they warmed up with temperatures still touching 30 degrees. It never really cools down here in winter, something to keep in mind as 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
City got their second of the evening when Foden forced Nino into an own goal
Foden drove away in celebration after grabbing City's third goal in the 72nd minute
Walker has been doing some team bonding work around their gated base on the Red Sea, opposite King Fahad's Fountain. The most notable was a matchday last Sunday, for those who didn't fancy watching Manchester United's draw at Anfield. And there were a few.
They haven't been out much this week, so Walker's event was a bit of fun to keep things light, unlike that tunnel. Guardiola, dressed in a rare display of formal attire, saw them out as Jeddah were treated to the second ever broadcast of the Inspiral Carpets, the first before Tuesday's semi-final.
This is what it feels like to be City now. Favorite in the Club World Cup final, with a Treble safely in the cupboard. For all the talk about their stranglehold on European football, does it really get any better than this for the few hundred who traveled the 5,000 kilometers to witness it? Even if the elite trophies keep coming. These were twelve months like no other. This will always be their year.
City were out, with stern faces, as Fluminense's stand-in goalkeeper Pedro Rangel broke down in tears as the goalkeeping department stood in prayer for their vociferous traveling support.
Emotion is what fuels Fluminense, and Fernando Diniz's tactical eccentricity that leaves positions out of the window. Despite Guardiola insisting you can't play a final of this magnitude without emotion, it was City's job to destroy that.
On the contrary, scoring within 41 seconds did not actually help. Julian Alvarez's chest found Fabio's net after Marcelo's wide cross gifted cheap possession to Nathan Aké, who curled against the post. Alvarez, played onside by Andre, happily accepted the rebound.
It stirred something in the Brazilians. Operating with a danger akin to that of Guardiola's first season, they made City look uncomfortable for a while. Ederson beat Germany's Cano for a certain penalty, but it was brought back for offside, and City struggled to track down runners.
'Who in the world could overtake Manchester City for 15 minutes?' Diniz asked. 'We did it.'
The result may have come at a cost as Rodri had to leave due to injury after an unnecessary tackle from Alexsander
Pep Guardiola saw his side cruise to a big win and claim their fifth major trophy of 2023
Then it was City's turn, with a two lead. Jack Grealish and Rodri happily recycled possession and picked out Premier League target Andre, who, breaking ranks, forgot about Foden. Foden was in, square in front of 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 to go, with the Argentinian later drove his second home.
City had calmed down their wayward opponents, retaining much more of the ball and avoiding wild tackles as the night progressed, in a manner we expect from them and which has been lacking of late. About, done, history.
Walker and Felipe Melo briefly battled full-time – and Guardiola will now need more of that as they return to battle on other fronts.