Michael Olise, Sergio Ramos but no Manchester City players in GOAL's Team of the Club World Cup group stage

Al-Hilal's presence in the last 16 is no fluke. They've proven they can play and have quality in every area of the pitch.

However, there's no getting away from the fact that they would not have reached the knockout stage were it not for Yassine Bounou, who showed that he remains one of the finest shot-stoppers in world football by frustrating Real Madrid on matchday one before keeping consecutive clean sheets against Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca.

We're honestly not sure if there's a more complete defender in the game today than Achraf Hakimi, who is outstanding going forward and solid as a rock in defence.

The Moroccan right-back really can do it all and, after playing a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain's treble triumph, he helped Luis Enrique's side secure top spot in Group B at the Club World Cup with the killer second goal in the 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders.

There was a legitimate fear that Benfica might struggle to get out of Group C - but they ended up beating Bayern Munich to top spot thanks in no small part to a magnificent rearguard action led by Nicolas Otamendi.

The Argentine may be 37 but he's clearly lost none of his aggression or positional awareness and has been one of the most dominant defenders on show in the United States.

Love him or loathe him, Sergio Ramos is some player.

The Real Madrid legend is still going strong at 39 years of age and with his goal in Monterrey's 1-1 draw Inter, he became the oldest player ever to score at the Club World Cup.

Furthermore, the Mexicans ended up with the best defensive record in the group stage and their veteran captain was the main reason why.

While all eyes have been on Trent Alexander-Arnold on the opposite side of the defence, Fran Garcia has been quietly impressing at left-back for Real Madrid.

The 25-year-old has played every minute of their campaign to date, looking the part from a defensive perspective while also popping up with an assist for Jude Bellingham in the 3-1 win over Pachuca.

The timing of Ruben Neves' decision to move to the Middle East surprised a lot of people, given he was still only 26 when he swapped Wolves for Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023.

The Portugal international appears to have no regrets, though, and he remains a quality midfielder, as he's demonstrated with his dynamic displays at the Club World Cup - most notably in the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid, in which he scored from the penalty spot.

Enzo Fernandez took a long time to settle at Stamford Bridge but the Argentine was excellent for Chelsea last season and has carried his fine form into the Club World Cup.

While a lot of his team-mates have played only in fits and starts in the U.S., Fernandez has been one of the tournament's most consistent midfielders and scored in the 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC before creating two goals against Esperance de Tunis.

Michael Olise really has taken his game to a whole other level since leaving Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich last summer.

The France international has been directly involved in more goals than anyone else at the Club World Cup (five) and is in with a real shout of finishing as both top scorer and the top assists provider, while it's also worth noting that nobody has completed more dribbles either (12).

Flamengo have been one of the most enjoyable sides to watch in the Club World Cup and the classy attacking midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta was key to the Brazilians surprisingly topping Group D ahead of Chelsea.

The 31-year-old Uruguay international scored the opening goal of their campaign, against Esperance de Tunis, while he turned in another man of the match-winning display in the 1-1 draw with LAFC.

Jhon Arias was the subject of transfer talk before the Club World Cup had even kicked off, so it's hardly surprising that the speculation over his future has only intensified over the past couple of weeks.

The Colombian winger is one of only four players to have collected two man of the match awards so far (De Arrascaeta is another), after tormenting both Borussia Dortmund and Ulsan HD with his pace and fancy footwork.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest agreed a deal with Botafogo for Igor Jesus before the Club World Cup began - and it's just as well for the Premier League outfit.

The Brazil international has been the standout striker in the tournament so far, scoring decisive goals against both Seattle Sounders and, even more significantly, Paris Saint-Germain.