Botafogo found itself in the “group of death,” seen as the underdog in a group with Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid, but by the end of the group stage, they proved they are no fluke as reigning champions of both South America and Brazil. They defended the honor of their country and continent in grand style. They finished the group undefeated, eliminated Atletico, and came very close to finishing first ahead of PSG. Atletico became the first European club eliminated from the Club World Cup, with others like Porto, Salzburg, Benfica, or even Inter potentially following. Botafogo had a comfortable position after wins over Seattle and PSG in the first two rounds, but qualification for the round of 16 still wasn’t guaranteed. Atletico needed to win by three or more goals to advance, and Los Colchoneros believed they could do it. They stirred the fire with public statements and social media posts—but wanting something and achieving it are two different things. Not only did Atletico fail to win by three goals, they barely scraped a win at the very end when it was practically over – 1:0. Since PSG also defeated Seattle, all three teams finished with six points, creating a head-to-head tiebreaker triangle (excluding matches against the Sounders). In that mini-table, PSG came out on top with a goal difference of 4:1, Botafogo 1:1, and Atlético 1:4…Griezmann | 🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid 1-0 Botafogo 🇧🇷Julian Alvarez great assist !pic.twitter.com/hBXobMnFco— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) June 23, 2025 Despite significant changes from the championship squad at the end of last year, including a new coach and several key players, Botafogo managed to form a team that emerged as the biggest surprise of the Club World Cup. When they needed to attack and beat Seattle—they did. When they had to defend and wait for their chance against PSG—they succeeded. And tonight, when they needed to play with stability and maturity, they showed they could do that too. Renato Paiva’s team demonstrated in the group stage that they know how to attack, defend, and play for results—qualities that once defined Simeone’s Atlético. That’s no longer the case. Simeone’s side was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament and fully deserved to go home. They didn’t even deserve tonight’s narrow win. Even though a fast and furious start and attacking intent were crucial, Simeone didn’t come up with a particularly smart plan. His only surprise in the starting XI was Conor Gallagher—a player not exactly known for outscoring opponents. Atletico did try to press high and force errors with energy, but Botafogo read it well and positioned themselves effectively. It’s no surprise Luis Enrique said they play the best defense he’s seen this season. And not only did they defend well, Botafogo nearly crushed Atletico’s hopes just 10 minutes in. A deadly counterattack saw their standout player Jefferson Savarino go one-on-one with Oblak, and although his shot was solid, the Slovenian made a brilliant save. It was the best chance of the first half. Atletico’s only reply came in the form of penalty appeals—none of which were convincing. No real chances.CWC: No problem for PSG, the Parisians are in the Round of 16Only after Simeone brought on Griezmann for Gallagher at halftime did Atletico look more dangerous. But Botafogo displayed tactical maturity to hold the point they needed for qualification—and almost snatched the win when Igor Jesus struck from close range, forcing another sensational save from Oblak. Only in the dying minutes, when the Brazilians slightly lost concentration, did Atletico find a goal to save face. Alvarez made a run down the wing, delivered the ball into the box, and Griezmann finally ended his scoring drought that dated back to February 25! What’s especially impressive is that Botafogo achieved all of this without major contributions from high-profile signings like Arthur Cabral, Joaquín Correa, or young Alvaro Montoro, who joined just before the Club World Cup. Any of them could become key assets in the round of 16, alongside regular leaders like Savarino, Jair, and Jesus.FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025Matchday 3MondayAtletico Madrid – Botafogo 1-0 (0-0)/Griezmann 87/Seattle – PSG 0-2 (0-1)/Kvaratskhelia 35, Hakimi 66/Tuesday04:00: (5.00) Inter Miami (2.50) Palmeiras (2.25)04:00: (1.70) Porto (3.70) Al Ahly Cairo (5.10)22:00: (50.0) Auckland (25.0) Boca Juniors (1.01)22:00: (4.65) Benfica (3.20) Bayern (1.95)
