In December, Real Madrid won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup. The implications for Manchester City were indirect but it does mean that, on a technicality, they enter the Club World Cup as defending champions. An expanded competition can seem a new one: under the old format, the last final – officially, anyway, given Real’s win over Pachuca came in a rebranded competition – was City’s 4-0 walloping of Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.
It was City’s fifth trophy of 2023. It is not the only reason it feels like a different time. One of the goals came from Phil Foden, then on fire. Julian Alvarez bookended the scoring with a brace, but he now leads the line for Atletico Madrid. The silverware was lifted by Kyle Walker, but the captain isn’t even part of the squad City are taking to the United States after spending the second half of the season on loan at AC Milan. Jack Grealish, who started against Fluminense, didn’t make the plane this summer either.
