Without any major surprises, the two strongest teams in the competition and favorites to reach the final are already in it: they are Fluminense from Brazil and the powerful English Manchester City.

This is the last edition of the Club World Cup in this format (one champion for each continent). The FIFA Council, meeting in Jeddah, agreed on the details of the 32-team Club World Cup to be held in the United States in 2025, as well as the creation of a new Intercontinental Cup starting in 2024.

FIFA reported this Sunday that the tournament will take place from June 15 to July 13 and that the format was approved as well as the classification methodology, "based on sporting criteria", for access by teams from the six confederations.

Manchester City complied and is in the final of the Club World Cup.

Pep Guardiola's team beat Urawa Red Diamonds and will face Fluminense.

The logic was fulfilled. The top candidate for the title made it through the semifinals without many problems. Manchester City defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 with goals from Marius Høibråten, against, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva. Julián Álvarez was a substitute for the English team and came on to play the last 25 minutes. In this way, the team led by Pep Guardiola is in the final of the 2023 Club World Cup, where it will face Fluminense.

The Ciudadanos controlled the pace of the first half: they had 80% of the possession and 13 shots (4 on goal). On the other hand, Urawa Red Diamonds were doing perfectly with their approach: giving up control and defending themselves. However, at the end of the first half they suffered a mishap: the Norwegian centre-back Marius Høibråten sent it to the back of the goal when he was trying to clear a cross that came from the right. In this way, Pep Guardiola's team went into halftime with an advantage when it seemed that the Japanese team was going to hold out at zero.

It was expected that this goal would upset Urawa Red Diamonds. And that's what happened. Everything good they did in the first half was not seen at the beginning of the complement. It only took the Ciudadano team seven minutes to extend the lead. An excellent through ball from Kyle Walker left Mateo Kovacic one on one, who scored as if he were a striker and made the score 2-0. Then, at 14 minutes and after a great save by the goalkeeper against a shot by Matheus Nunes, the Portuguese Bernando Silva took the rebound and scored the third. The last of the game, although they had opportunities to make the victory more lopsided.

Fluminense suffered too much, but won the game and is in the final of the Club World Cup.

Flu defeated Al-Ahly with a goal from Jhon Arias, from a penalty, and John Kennedy.

With little play, but with the necessary effectiveness. Fluminense suffered, but is in the final of the Club World Cup. A game like this was to be expected. Al-Ahly had just beaten Marcelo Gallardo and Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad by far. And he was more than up to the task in the semifinal against Flu. However, the hierarchy of the Rio team was worth more and they won 2-0 with a penalty from Colombian Jhon Arias and another from John Kennedy, Boca's executioner in the final of the Copa Libertadores.

Fernando Diniz's team did not feel comfortable in the first 45 minutes. The Egyptians were good, they did not allow the Brazilians to join forces in the rival field and they came out quickly on the counterattack, complicating the Flu defense on several occasions. The only two chances for the Rio team were at the feet of Colombian Jhon Arias, who hit the post twice. The first half statistics reflect what the game was like. Fluminense had possession (61%), but Al-Ahly had more chances (13 vs. 1). The only shot on goal came from the African champion: a point-blank header from Kahraba that Fábio saved purely on reflex.

The complement was just as complex for Fluminense. He suffered against and did not show a very attractive game. Fábio once again did great in goal and denied the goal on several occasions. When it seemed that the match was going to go to extension, the hierarchy of the Rio team appeared. Marcelo, who had already shown some brushstrokes, entered the area with a pipe included and they lowered him. The Polish Szymon Marciniak did not hesitate and pointed out a penalty. The person in charge of executing it was Jhon Arias, who took the ball and hit it against a post, impossible for Mohamed El-Shenawy, who had just saved a penalty from Karim Benzema on that same side.

The goal unsettled the Egyptian team, which was already mentally in extra time. In the desire to go for the tie, they were careless in the background and Fluminense took advantage of it. John Kennedy, Boca's executioner in the Copa Libertadores final, was the one who settled the matter. He hooked and took a left foot that went in close to the post.

Source images: Olè