The global shock was seismic.
As the shame was for the Premier League pretensions on superiority.
But the larger price of the humiliating club World Cup output of Manchester City by the Saudi outfit al-Hilal may only start to be paid within six weeks.
Pep Guardiola and his team of superstars licked their wounds, physically and mentally, in Orlando.
Forget the claims that the newest bouable of FIFA is a Mickey Mouse competition – losing a collection of premon colorings and strangers will be a kick in the proverb.
Forget the statement of FIFA president Gianni Infantino that “the new era of Clubvoetbal has certainly started”.
He would say that, right?
But the reality is that, as far as the city is concerned, this had to be a showcase for their rebirth, not a public dunking.
Finally, remember, it was only a month ago that city chairman Al-Mubarak spoke the tournament and Zwur: “This is a very, very serious competition. The whole world will watch this.
“We're going to give it our best chance. We're going there to win it.”
So much for that. A disappointment all the greater for the owners of the club in Abu Dhabi, given the nationality of their conquerors.
And although the failure to go beyond the last 16, a consolation price of £ 37 million comes in terms of the cash writer of the city, they will be home again if Chelsea carries the Prem Flag in the last phases, the Blues' own path to New York are no longer their potential semi-final opponents.
Nevertheless, the more serious costs for Guardiola's plans for the new season that will open next month – and possibly an urgent need for more expenses.
In that end of the season of Abu Dhabi, Khaldoon spoke about the players who had signed City in January and spoke about the changes as a “regeneration”-one that went to the eve of their departure to the US.
That the winter window of the unprecedented by the city of the city saw the arrivals of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vorror Reis and Nico Gonzalez, while after the season the Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cheki and Tijjani Reijnden brought.
The combined edition: £ 281 million and count.
But while the Egyptian striker Marmoush hit the ground, with seven Prem objectives after his arrival from Frankfurt, it is difficult to claim that one of the other signing sessions of January really stood out.
Cherki scored in the club World Cup, but only started the opener against Wydad Casablanca, and Ait-Nouri and Reijnders made more encouraging openings for their city career.
But Ait-Nouri and Reijnders were the only two of the seven trusted to start against Al-Hilal, while Guardiola placed more kilometers on the exciting limbs of the 34-year-old Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, 30.
Journey did not play after the Wydad game while Gonzalez played for an hour against No-Hopers Al-Inain.
The demands of a long season, plus the extra five and a half week – and 11,000 extra air mushrooms – will take their toll, especially with the city that now has a short summer vacation before they have to prepare for their season opener at Wolves on August 16.
City fans believe that next season will all be different with the return to full fitness of Rodri after a serious knee injury.
In the absence of Spanish midfield Lynchpin, the side of Guardiola was all at sea, far too often the last term.
But last night in Orlando Rodri suffered a new setback – forced in extra time after just eight minutes in the second half.
Pep then admitted that Rodri “had complained about his situation”.
But even with the Ballon d'Or winner on the field, it was a familiar story with the city that created opportunities, much of them, but not taking enough.
During the 120 minutes they had 30 shots, of which 16 on goal, divested by Morocco's 2022 World Cup keeper Hero Yassine Bounou.
But just as often the last term, terrible, terribly vulnerable to turnover, graps cold at the back, a mess for Edersonon.
Guardiola will hope, with his fingers firmly crossed, that it was partly fatigue, share a lack of real desire for a tournament that only existed three years ago in the imagination of Infantino, partly bad luck.
But physically and mentally, the players of the city will show up before the start of the following season, who still wear the luggage of the season that only ended in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
And without the leading light of the deceased Kevin De Bruyne.
You can bet that your bottom dollar that Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta are particularly happy.