Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders will launch their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup journey by hosting South American champions Botafogo at Lumen Field on Sunday, marking the first MLS-Brazilian club clash since 1998. Both teams are under pressure to secure points in a challenging Group A, which also includes Atletico Madrid and recent UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

The revamped Club World Cup, now a quadrennial event with 32 teams, saw Botafogo earn their spot by clinching the 2024 Copa Libertadores with a 3-1 victory over Atletico Mineiro in a dramatic final. However, the Rio-based club struggled at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, falling 3-0 to Pachuca from Mexico, and now seeks redemption on the global stage.

Botafogo, three-time Brazilian champions and 2024 Brasileiro winners, have hit a rough patch in 2025, sitting eighth in Serie A after 11 matches with only five wins.

The departure of key players Luiz Henrique and Thiago Almada, along with coach Artur Jorge, has impacted their form. They face LDU Quito next in the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 but must first navigate a tough Club World Cup group, starting with a critical match against Seattle.

As one of three MLS representatives in the expanded tournament, Seattle Sounders will play all their Group A matches at home. Their previous Club World Cup appearance in 2022 ended quickly with a quarter-final exit against Al Ahly. Despite winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, the Sounders have not claimed a trophy since, narrowly losing in last season’s MLS Western Conference final to LA Galaxy after conceding a late goal.

Currently sixth in the MLS standings, Seattle’s recent form has dipped with consecutive losses, including a 3-0 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps where they finished with nine players.

However, Brian Schmetzer’s team remains strong at Lumen Field, losing just once in their last 15 home games and only five of their last 36 across all competitions, a record they’ll rely on to compete in this formidable group.