Club World Cup Preview: João Paulo’s Testimonial
The world is coming to Seattle and Sounders open their Club World Cup campaign against JP’s former club, Botafogo!
The Seattle Sounders kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Brazilian giants Botafogo, the former club of João Paulo. Before starting, I would like to give a shout-out to my dear friend and fantastic journalist, Tiago Brandão, who provided a significant amount of the information on Botafogo. Tiago is a Brazilian journalist who covers MLS for Territorio MLS.
Here’s a little preview of the Seattle Sounders’ first opponent for the Club World Cup:
Botafogo fans enjoyed one of the best seasons in club history last year. They completed an unlikely double by winning both the Brazilian Serie A and Copa Libertadores, despite being outsiders for both competitions when their 2024 campaign began.
Since then, they have followed that not by building on top of the success, but rather by absolutely obliterating it. Star players Luiz Henrique and Thiago Almada left for Europe in the January transfer window. Top scorer Junior Santos also left, but Igor Jesus has successfully filled that hole (more on him later). While they found some form leading up to the Club World Cup, early-season results were abysmal. They were battered by Racing Club in the Recopa Sudamericana - a clash between the winners of the Argentine and Brazilian top flights- and then proceeded to only win twice in their next eight matches. Since then, they’ve only lost twice in their last ten and are slowly climbing up the table.
How’d they get here?
Botafogo qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by winning the 2024 Copa Libertadores by beating Atlético Mineiro 3-1 in the final. It’s a club with massive investment from its owner, American businessman John Textor, who also owns Olympique Lyon in France and Crystal Palace in England. Since acquiring the club in 2022, Textor has returned glory to Botafogo. They even signed Thiago Almada from MLS side Atlanta United last year, who helped them secure the Copa Libertadores, but he has since transferred to Lyon. Botafogo are also the current champions of the Brazilian league, but sit around mid-table as they head into the Club World Cup.
Players to Watch
Igor Jesus
One of the players to watch is center forward Igor Jesus, who has already been sold to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and will join after the Club World Cup. He’s a powerful striker with fantastic technical skills as a center-forward, with his high work rate and awareness blending well to make him influential both in and out of possession. Igor Jesus combines elite ball control with good body strength to shield the ball, handling pressure and holding onto it when he receives it in isolation. He relieves the team by allowing his teammates time to move closer and support the build-up. He likes to play off the shoulder of his defender and moves to “deceive” whoever is marking him, unmark himself, and receive the ball in good spaces to get in on goal. Igor Jesus will give Jackson Ragen and Jon Bell problems I don’t believe they’re ready for.
Jefferson Savarino
Next up is a familiar face. Jefferson Savarino, formerly of Real Salt Lake, wears the number 10 shirt for Botafogo and has been playing fantastically since joining the club last season. His dribbling has become even stronger since leaving RSL for the second time. His movement and ability to drive at defenders make him one of Brazil's most dangerous playmakers. While his attacking play makes him a standout for Botafogo, his defensive work ethic can’t be questioned. Savarino is always running around, always trying to win the ball back. He’s recently been linked to a move in Spain, where at least three clubs are watching.
New Faces
In addition to Igor Jesus and Jefferson Savarino, some players to watch for Botafogo are expected to make their club debuts against the Sounders. Botafogo signed two new players specifically for this tournament during the special FIFA window that the Sounders did absolutely nothing with: Joaquín Correa, formerly of Inter Milan, and Arthur Cabral, formerly of Benfica — the latter will be replacing Igor Jesus after he leaves for Forrest after the Club World Cup.
How will they play?
Botafogo plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which can shift into a 4-4-2 when Jefferson Savarino pushes forward. The team focuses on quick transitions from the wingers, with strong hold-up play from Igor Jesus and Arthur Cabral.
It’s unclear if Joaquin Correa and Arthur Cabral's arrivals will change Botafogo’s system. However, we can at least expect Nouhou and Alex Roldan to be booked and busy, with Santi Rodriguez (a former NYCFC player) and Artur Guimaraes flying at them.
Realistic Expectations
The Sounders are entering this tournament in a rough state of mind. They’re out of form and can’t seem to find any cohesion on the field. They’re going through an injury crisis, and as of right now, they're not going to get paid fairly for playing in the tournament. Everything is stacked up against the Sounders.
Despite all that, I expect the Sounders to give their all in this game and at least look semi-competitive. Do I think they’ll win this game? Absolutely not. This Botafogo team, even while selling massive assets, is full of DP-level players and will take full advantage of our broken backline. But do I think they can manage a point? Maybe, that’s what I’m hoping for, at least.