Palmeiras vs. Botafogo: Preview, Predictions and Lineups | OneFootball

Two historic Brazilian sides, Palmeiras and Botafogo, will renew their rivalry to kick-off the Club World Cup knockout rounds.

Abel Ferreira's Palmeiras topped Group A with draws vs. Porto and Inter Miami plus a convincing win vs Al Ahly. El Verdão looked solid in the group stage and will feel like they deserved to win all three matches.

Botafogo qualified second in Group B thanks in large part to a sensational victory over Champions League holders PSG. With six points, they knocked-out Atlético Madrid from the tournament. Renato Paiva's side more than held their own against two top European teams.

Palmeiras vs. Botafogo has become a modern rivalry in Brazil's top-flight. Palmeiras pulled off a memorable 14-point comeback to beat Botafogo to the league title in 2023. El Fogão would get their revenge in 2024, beating El Verdão to win the league and also eliminating them from the Copa Libertadores en route to winning the competition for the first time ever.

These are two of the best teams in South America who do not like each other, setting up a mouthwatering all-Brazilian clash to begin the round of 16.

Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to this Club World Cup clash.

What Time Does Palmeiras vs. Botafogo Kick-Off?

Palmeiras vs. Botafogo Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

Last Meeting: Palmeiras 0–0 Botafogo (Mar. 30, 2025) - Brazilian Serie A

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch Palmeiras vs. Botafogo on TV

Palmeiras Team News

Estêvão Willian could play his final match for Palmeiras / Jeenah Moon-Reuters via Imagn Images

El Verdão kept the core of their XI the same for the majority of the group stage and Ferreira is likely to stick with that for the round of 16.

The biggest question mark is in defense, where starting center back Murilo Cerqueira suffered a thigh injury vs. Inter Miami and will miss the rest of the Club World Cup. Bruno Fuchs replaced him against Miami and should get the nod to start vs. Botafogo.

Up front, former Barcelona man Vitor Roque will return to the lineup after José López failed to impress leading the line last time out. He'll be flanked by Facundo Torres and the highly-touted Estêvão Willian, who could play his final game for the club before joining Chelsea—or advance to potentially play the Blues in the quarterfinals.

Richard Ríos and Raphael Veiga will provide support from the central areas as Palmeiras will try to end a five-game winless streak vs. Botafogo.

Palmeiras Predicted Lineup vs. Botafogo

Palmeiras predicted lineup vs. Botafogo (4-2-3-1): Wéverton; Giay, Gómez, Fuchs, Piquerez; Moreno, Ríos; Estêvão, Veiga, Torred; Roque

Botafogo Team News

Botafogo escaped the "group of death" and will prove to be a tough out in the knockout rounds. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Botafogo were dealt a tough blow with the suspension of starting central midfielder Gregore because of yellow card accumulation. El Fogão could replace him with former Everton man Allan next to Marlon Freitas in the midfield base.

In defense, Alexander Barboza and Jair Cunha have been one of the best center back pairing of the tournament, conceding only one goal during the group stage. El Fogão's defensive stoutness is the foundation to their recent success.

The skillful Jefferson Savarino will be a menace down the left wing and will look to combine with Igor Jesus, who has been one of the best center forwards in the tournament.

El Fogão might've come in second in their group, but they've faced much tougher competition and are battle-tested heading into the clash vs. Palmeiras.

Botafogo Predicted Lineup vs. Palmeiras

Botafogo predicted lineup vs. Palmeiras (4-4-2): John; Vitinho, Cunha, Barboza, Telles; Allan, Freitas, Artur, Savarino; Mastriani, Jesus

Palmeiras vs. Botafogo Score Prediction

It's a very even matchup between two teams that know each other to perfection.

Palmeiras have more depth and overall quality, but Botafogo are a very experienced side with recent success in knockout stages of cup competitions.

The game will be a true South American intense and rocky battle where tempers will flare and scoring opportunities will be hard to come by. However, Palmeiras's individual quality will prove to be the difference maker and El Verdão will move on to the quarterfinals.

Estêvão will play his best game of the tournament and lead Palmeiras to victory.