This Group B encounter at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played between the recently crowned UEFA Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, and the Copa Libertadores champions, Botafogo, on June 20 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, LA.
Here are our preview and prediction for the game.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs Botafogo | 06:30 IST, June 20
Both teams come into this fixture having won their opening games at the CWC. PSG continued their scintillating form by ruthlessly putting four past Atlético Madrid, while Botafogo started off by edging out Seattle Sounders.
Against Atleti, Luis Enrique’s men were two goals to the good before half-time — with Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha contributing one goal each from midfield — and another couple during the latter stages marked their statement arrival at the Club World Cup.
Capable of finding the net from several sources, free-scoring PSG could book their place in the last 16 by beating Botafogo here before finishing off with a game against the Sounders. Moreover, Friday’s fixture will see the Parisians become the first French outfit ever to play an official competitive fixture against non-European opponents.
Botafogo, meanwhile, face a particularly tough challenge to get out of Group B, though they have improved their chances with their victory over the Sounders ahead of meetings with Atleti and PSG.
In a closely fought contest, the Fogo struck twice before the break and then clung on to all three points. They have now won four straight games — and nine of their last 12 across all competitions, dating back to the end of April.
However, last year’s Brasileirão winners are still slightly off the pace in 2025, and few expect them to topple an increasingly invincible PSG side. They were not entirely convincing against the Seattle Sounders either, so they must step up several gears to cope with the all-conquering Parisians. While we’ve already seen some upsets in the group stages, Botafogo’s lesser quality compared to PSG is likely to cost them.
Score Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 4–0 Botafogo
Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California
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