Mateo Kovačić achieves something no footballer in history has

Mateo Kovačić (Photo credit: pantkiewicz/(CC BY-NC 2.0)

Croatian international Mateo Kovačić has achieved something no footballer has in history after his club side Manchester City lifted the FIFA Club World Cup tonight in Saudi Arabia.

Manchester City beat Brazilian side Fluminense 4-0 in the final tonight with Kovačić coming on in the 60th minute. It was the first time Manchester City won the FIFA Club World Cup and it was the Croatian midfielder’s fourth title. 

Kovačić also is now the first player in history to lift the FIFA Club World Cup trophy with three different clubs.

He first won it in 2016 and then also in 2017 with Real Madrid. Then in 2021 he won it with Chelsea. 

The current record of winning it with two clubs was held by Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United and Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid), David Alaba (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid), and Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea and Real Madrid). 

It was also coach Pep Guardiola’s fourth title. 

Kovačić scored his first goal in a Manchester City shirt to help the English champions to reach the final.  He scored early in the second half, finishing off after a great through-ball from Kyle Walker, to help City to a comfortable 3-0 victory against the Japanese side Urawa Reds in the semi-final on Tuesday night.

The goal was the 29-year-old Croatians first for the club in 19 games after he moved in the summer from Chelsea for 30 million euros.