WAYNE ROONEY'S strike in Japan gave United claims to being the best club side on the planet.
"We're the best team in the world with the best fans in the world," said Rooney, after his second-half strike saw off the Ecuador challenge from LDU Quito in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Premier League champions dominated for long periods - despite playing almost the entire second period with 10 men after Nemanja Vidic's dismissal for an elbow.
Rooney's goal came in the 74th minute. MIchale Carrick superbly fed Ronaldo, who found Rooney to his left.
Rooney took the pass effortlessy to cut in and unleash a low right foot drive from the edge of the penalty area out of reach of Jose Cevallos.
It was just reward for the No9 who had twice been denied by Cevallos in the first half, where Carlos Tevez and Park Ji-sung also both went close.
And Alex Ferguson was convinced United were heading for a draining half hour of extra-time before Rooney popped up.
He said: “I definitely felt we were heading for extra-time.
“Another half an hour with 10 men would have been a long road and if we had conceded we would have lost.
“But we did still try to win, which is a measure of the ambitious players we have and our collective spirit came through in the end.”
It looked like it might get tough for United when Vidic was red-carded four minutes into the second half for an elbow that left the Argentine forward Beiler writhing on the ground in agony.
But United remained on top and Ronaldo brought a good save out of Cevallos from the edge of the area, as the side from Old Traford were crowned World Club champions.
Rooney picked up the Goldenball for player of the tournament with Cristiano Ronaldo voted runner-up.
The only bad news for United came with the realisation that Vidic will now miss the Champions League trip to the San Siro to face Inter Milan in February.
