For Chelsea, victory in Sunday's Club World Cup decider completed a fine first season under Enzo Maresca, and also finally brought the curtain down on a marathon campaign that they must hope does not catch up with them down the line.
The Cole Palmer-inspired 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium outside New York was Chelsea's 64th game of a season which lasted 11 months.
By any measure it was one of Chelsea's best ever campaigns, with their Club World Cup triumph - placed on a par by Maresca to winning the Champions League - following victory in the UEFA Conference League and a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Maresca, an ex-assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, could not have asked for much more after arriving off the back of leading Leicester City to promotion.
"It has been a fantastic season but I am especially happy for the players," said the Italian, who has succeeded in putting together a coherent team out of the endless line of new signings being brought in by the club's owners.
"We have said many times that talent alone is not enough. You need to find a way for them to all fit together."
It all represents considerable progress from just two years ago, when the Stamford Bridge side finished in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Maresca incorporated more new faces during the Club World Cup, with Joao Pedro making a remarkable impact - the Brazilian forward cut short a holiday to complete a £60 million ($79 million) transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion, and went on to score twice in the semi-final against Fluminense and once in the final.
Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos all joined up ahead of the month in the United States, while Jamie Gittens has since arrived from Borussia Dortmund and fellow winger Estevao Willian now joins from Palmeiras in Brazil.
Chelsea will hope those signings, added to a squad led by the likes of Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, can make a real push for the Premier League title off the back of their impressive triumph at FIFA's new tournament.
"It's a big statement," captain Reece James told English media shortly after lifting the trophy alongside US President Donald Trump.
"I'm happy with how much the club has progressed and how next season you know we'll be competing in the Premier League, to win the title and compete, and to go far in the Champions League as well."
Drastically reduced off-season
Chelsea have also pocketed a stunning $115 million in prize money from the Club World Cup, but what if there comes a point in 2025/26 when their exploits of this season catch up with them?
While Chelsea have been competing at the Club World Cup in draining weather conditions, Premier League champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal have enjoyed extended off-season breaks.
Manchester City were also at the Club World Cup but they went out over a week earlier.
Global players' union FIFPro has been the leading voices expressing concerns about the demands on the game's biggest stars in an ever-expanding calendar.
One of the safeguards it proposed in a study published before the tournament was a mandatory four-week off-season break, along with four-week retraining periods before returning to competition.
Chelsea's off-season is drastically reduced, with their first match of the next Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace slated for August 17, exactly five weeks after the Club World Cup final. They have a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen on August 8.
"Tomorrow I have three weeks of holiay which is all I want right now because I have not stopped in 15 months," said Maresca on Sunday.
It remains to be seen if Maresca and his players come back sufficiently refreshed before attacking a season in which they hope to go far in the Champions League, and which will end with the World Cup in North America.
PSG face an even tighter squeeze after a historic campaign for Luis Enrique's team, capped by their triumph in the Champions League final.
Their first competitive match of next season will be the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur in Italy on August 13, exactly one month after their defeat in New York - a chance to win more silverware, but at what cost?
Fikdlmpst
14
people will be writing and talking all the time about Chelsea. what was the problem with Chelsea last season, expected goals were higher than what was recorded, big chances missed were countless. now, there is addition to the striking line, Delap and J Pedro and they have shown glimpse of why they were bought. midfield beefed to help Caicedo and Enzo rest, we saw what they can do. football is not rocket science. the boys are playing together and gelling, knowing themselves better. so what's more. people should calm down and see what happens next season. some are crying more than the bereaved.
Shmonny
12
Nuno Mendes after losing the final 🗣️: As you know, all the Real Madrid players, staff, coaches, and even the club president were in my pocket, and yes... it was very heavy, making it difficult for me to run after the Chelsea players 😭😂🤣
Vahaiorsz
12
That prophesy of injuries will not stand neither will it come to pass..Amen.
Maxidon1
11
Next season is our year to win the EPL title no doubt
Geebabs
7
this club world Cup 🏆 has opened and exposed the true enemies of Chelsea Football Club Chelsea success is making them so mad that they can't hid their true feelings about Chelsea anymore now we know who our enemies are
faith1984
7
it has been a very busy season for us at Chelsea. Even though am not one of the players, staff. I am one of the fans supporting in every games. Next season we go again and do more better.