Club World Cup Gets Injection of Life: Botafogo Stun PSG After Inter Miami History | OneFootball

Botafogo’s owner, John Textor, didn’t care about the rolling TV cameras; he needed to kiss head coach Renato Pavia after one of the most defining nights in recent soccer history.

On Thursday night, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions from Brazil toppled the UEFA Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain 1–0, in the most shocking result of the FIFA Club World Cup so far.

And although they won the match by the slimmest of margins, they executed their plan perfectly, outmaneuvering PSG’s setup with their 4-5-1 formation, pushed on by wide threats that helped them generate four shots on target, despite holding only 25 percent possession.

Igor Jesus scored the goal in the 36th minute, beating PSG centre-backs Willian Pacho and Lucas Beraldo before getting a deflected shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Botafogo planned perfectly and executed better, sending the travelling Brazilian support, who have been the lifeblood of a mildly attended tournament, into ecstasy at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

"Being a great team, playing together, all the guys defending, all the guys attacking, and that's the big secret of this PSG team, that's why they compete and win," Pavia said after the match.

"They are a fantastic team. I said this, PSG are a lesson to everybody nowadays in football. And I told my guys, just be a team, enjoy playing together, attack together, defend together, and enjoy. And they did they did it. Fantastic."

Yet, as much as the win reigns over other results in the tournament, beating the European champions is no new feat for Brazilian clubs. In 2012, Corinthians defeated Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup Final, which at the time included just eight teams.

Over a decade later, though, the win matters so much more, especially considering PSG’s dominant victory in the Champions League final, 5–0 over Inter, and that it came on the anniversary of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup win, which also happened at the Rose Bowl.

"That's all about Brazil. Brazil can play football. Young people like this [pointing to Vitinho] go there, play at another level, learn to play in other ways,” Textor said. “But just like the Europeans, we also have structure, organization. Brazil can also play football. I hope every Brazilian is proud of Botafogo today.”

European Giants Toppled

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami toppled UEFA's FC Porto to start an upset-filled Thursday at the FIFA Club World Cup. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Through the first round of games at the Club World Cup, nearly every result went to plan. There were some blowouts, like Bayern Munich’s 10-0 win over semi-professional outfit Auckland City FC, and none of the UEFA teams came out as losers.

Thursday, though, was much different. It started with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami becoming the first MLS team to win a Club World Cup match, a 2–1 victory over Portugal’s FC Porto, and ended with Botafogo knocking off PSG.

While being in midseason form and used to some of the sweltering conditions does play a factor for the Western Hemisphere, the results bring an unmatched energy to the tournament. At the same time, it also offers a sobering perspective to European squads, who may have expected a walkover, especially now that CONMEBOL sides have won five games, drawn three and lost none.

“I think the football graveyard is full of favorites. It's a game, there are probabilities,” Pavia said ahead of facing PSG, eyeing the upset. “If you enter into this field of favoritism, it's an emotional area that you can't control. It's the impact that I want to remove. The opponent is who they are, but they also win, lose and draw.”

The results in both groups that saw upsets also bring an enticing final matchday. In Group A, Porto would be eliminated with any result other than a win, or if Miami and Palmeiras draw, Botafogo, meanwhile, is through to the quarterfinals, leaving one of Atlético Madrid or PSG eliminated in the group stage.

After an emotionally charged Thursday, what could Friday bring? Keep your eyes on Flamengo vs. Chelsea and Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors.