Al-Hilal’s stunning win over Manchester City in the Club World Cup is rightly being hailed as a breakthrough for Saudi Arabian and world football.

The winner was a 112th-minute nudge from close range, but the shockwaves are reverberating around the globe.

It marked the arrival of the desert kingdom as a serious player at club level, and no longer a luxury old folk’s home for football’s elite. Some are even claiming the result justifies the tournament.

The 4-3 victory, which was thoroughly deserved, was an eye-opener to rising standards in the Saudi Pro League.

But it certainly doesn’t vindicate the outrageous timing, Machiavellian politics or blatant greed behind it.

Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, when discussing player welfare, called it “the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard.”

City manager Pep Guardiola, although he had toed the club line in favour of the tournament, said he agreed with his former adversary.

Speaking before the tie, the Catalan said: “I know where his idea comes from. We discussed giving managers and players more rest. So his comments did not surprise me. I understand him.”

As his worn-out troops disperse for an overdue break with pre-season just a month away, you suspect that he will now be even more in line with his former rival’s thinking.

But above all, he will be hoping his own words don’t become prophetic.

Expecting City to go all the way in the tournament, he’d added: “Let’s see what happens after the final, we can rest and take the time that the Premier League has allowed us to rest, and then we will see.

“Maybe in November, December or January it will be a disaster, we are exhausted and the World Cup has destroyed us. I don’t know but it’s the first time in our lives that this has happened.”

England boss Thomas Tuchel noted: “I think it will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there.

After a mini-revival, City yet again find themselves at a crossroads. And that’s without mentioning the 115 charges still hanging over them.

Can an elephant remove itself from the room by being forgotten?

It almost seems that way as waiting for a verdict in the EPL’s case against City is being compared to waiting for Godot.

The trip to the United States may have helped take their minds off it – that’s if they were on it in the first place.

The arrival of eight signings already this year suggests it wasn’t.

Until Tuesday, the tournament had been going so well.

City were the only club to have won every game and there were signs that the old swagger was returning.

Juventus were hammered 5-2 and Erling Haaland had rediscovered his shooting boots.

New boys were being bedded in and the prize money would pay for most of them.

Over £37 million had been collected for reaching the last 16. Another £80m was on the table.

Besides, becoming the first champions would have meant theirs being the first club name on the trophy.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s name had already been inscribed twice.

It would also have meant that Pep had won silverware in every season since his barren debut campaign in 2016-17.

Such things matter for morale, momentum and the club’s bank balance.

But Pep’s comments reveal that it was a calculated risk that the club may now come to rue.

Besides further wear and tear on the squad, there was the worrying sight of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri limping off.

It was only his fifth game back after nine months out with an ACL injury, and he came on in the 53rd minute and went off in the 100th.

All we got from Pep was: “He complained about his situation.”

Hopefully, it’s not the old injury, but no one can pretend they are not concerned.

As it was, City were nursing Rodri back and he had looked understandably rusty. Even with new replacements signed, a recurrence would be unthinkable.

Not all the new boys have shone, least of all £50m Nico Gonzalez, who briefly tried to fill in for the superstar, but didn’t last long.

Indeed, of this year’s arrivals, only exciting Egyptian Omar Marmoush has been an unqualified success.

Some have barely been seen and while Rayan Ait-Nouri has impressed going forward, Al-Hilal exposed weaknesses in his defending.

With both Ederson and Ruben Dias also having shaky moments, defence – especially against quick counters – still seems City’s Achilles heel.

Premier League rivals will have noted.

City also has a bloated squad, far bigger than the 23 or 24 that Pep prefers.

So soon we can expect departures with big names like Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish among them and perhaps even Ilkay Gundogan.

In the meantime, Al Hilal and their huge battalion of fans can look forward to a quarter-final against Brazil’s Fluminense on Saturday with hopes of making the final four.

A glance at their line-up against City shows a core of high-quality talent, mostly ex-EPL.

Ruben Neves, Khaldi Koulibaly, Malcom, Aleksandr Mitrovic, Yassine Bounou and ex-City defender Joao Cancelo are the best-known names.

With local players rubbing shoulders with them – and remember Saudi pulled off one of the World Cup’s greatest shocks when they beat eventual winners Argentina in 2022 – Saudi football is going places.

With greater local interest and as part of a wider push into sport, it looks more sustainable than China’s ill-fated venture of more than a decade ago.

As for City, much will depend on Rodri and if Pep can solve the defensive problems. And, of course, if “Godot” ever turns up.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.