Europe and South America's champions meet in Jeddah on Friday for the 20th FIFA Club World Cup final, and the last one in its current format. Manchester City vs. Fluminense will kick off at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to decide which club from which continent can consider themselves kings of the soccer world for the next year. City come into this off the back of a difficult run of form in the Premier League with just one win from their last six games so beating Urawa Red Diamonds was a welcome return to form while the Copa Libertadores winners from Brazil saw off Egypt's Al Ahly. A win here would make City the fourth English club to triumph after Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea although Pep Guardiola himself has already won it three times which only Carlo Ancelotti can rival. The Catalan tactician's opposite number Fernando Diniz is also Brazil's interim boss and they are looking to emulate Corinthians' 2012 success which was the last non-European Club World Cup triumph.
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Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Friday, Dec. 22 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: King Abdullah Sports City -- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Live stream: FIFA+
- Odds: Manchester City -400; Draw: +450; Fluminense +850
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Team news
Manchester City: Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are all back in training but ineligible for Friday's final as Club World Cup regulations state that only the same 23 players from the semifinals squad can feature. Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol will hope to form the defense inn front of Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson while both Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes both caught the eye in the semis and will hope to feature along with Rodri. Nunes could drop out for Julian Alvarez with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden shifting into advanced midfield roles with Jack Grealish out left.
Potential Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, Grealish; Alvarez.
Fluminense: Diniz is likely name the same XI that beat Al Ahly with 43-year-old Fabio between the sticks and set to make history as the oldest player to appear in a Club World Cup final. Felipe Melo could become the oldest outfield player in the final at 40 while ex-Real Madrid man Marcelo is no spring chicken either and is set to be the second player to feature in five Club World Cup finals behind Toni Kroos on six. Andre has been linked with a move to the Premier League and is expected to pair with Matheus Martinelli in the engine room while the prolific German Cano should be backed up in attack by Arias, Ganso and Keno.
Potential Fluminense XI: Fabio; Xavier, Nino, Melo, Marcelo; Andre, Martinelli; Arias, Ganso, Keno; Cano.
Prediction
This one is likely to be quite tight but City should have enough to see off Fluminense to pick up their latest piece of silverware. A non-European success would be a fitting send-off for the competition before next year's format change, but it should be the European titleholders who sign it off with victory. Pick: Manchester City 2, Fluminense 1.