The reigning Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, went head-to-head with Copa Libertadores champs Botafogo in a thrilling matchup that pulled over 53,000 fans to the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. The atmosphere was buzzing long before kickoff, with chants, flags, and bold predictions filling the air. In the end, it was the Brazilians who came out on top, winning 1-0 to take sole control of Group B at the 2025 Club World Cup.

The only goal of the night came in the 36th minute, when Igor Jesus latched onto a long ball from Venezuelan winger Jefferson Savarino and coolly slotted it past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Renato Paiva’s side shocked the crowd with an aggressive game plan, controlling possession and showing no fear against one of the tournament favorites.

Frustration for PSG as pressure builds

Led by Luis Enrique, PSG pushed forward after the goal, but their attack lacked sharpness. They had the ball, but couldn’t find that final pass. The Spanish coach brought on João Neves, Nuno Mendes, and Fabián Ruiz in the second half to shake things up, but the story stayed the same: plenty of possession, little end product.

As the clock ticked down, PSG grew more desperate, but Botafogo’s defense stayed rock solid. Even six minutes of added time weren’t enough for the Parisians to find an equalizer. Now, PSG finds itself in a tough spot — they must beat the Seattle Sounders on Monday, June 23 if they want to stay alive in the tournament.

On the flip side, the win puts pressure on Atlético de Madrid, who’ll now need to beat Botafogo by multiple goals if they hope to move on. With two wins in the bag and no goals conceded, the Brazilian side looks like a serious contender to make a deep run in this year’s Club World Cup.