Seattle Sounders FC suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Brazilian giants Botafogo in their opening Group B fixture of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, June 15, at Lumen Field.
Botafogo, fresh off winning both the Brasileiro Série A and Copa Libertadores, struck twice in the first half to take control. Midfielder Jair Cunha opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a thumping header, followed by another headed goal from forward Igor Jesus in the 44th minute, giving the visitors a commanding 2-0 halftime lead.
Seattle came out stronger after the break, dominating possession and pushing forward with urgency. Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Cristian Roldan pulled one back, latching onto a deflected cross from Paul Rothrock and nodding the ball past Botafogo goalkeeper John.
Head coach Brian Schmetzer’s squad, who qualified for the tournament as 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup winners, now face a tough path ahead with matches against Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain still to come.
Botafogo’s Igor Jesus, who netted the decisive second goal, was named Man of the Match. The in-form striker has reportedly attracted transfer interest from English Premier League club Nottingham Forest.
Despite outshooting the Brazilian side 23-12 and creating multiple chances in the closing stages, the Sounders were unable to find an equaliser.
A hard-fought result for Botafogo, who held off a late surge from Seattle to clinch three vital points in their Club World Cup opener.
“First half was okay, but the second half we didn’t cope with the intensity of the opponent,” Botafogo manager Renato Paiva told DAZN. “It was not a very good game for us, but the first game in these competitions is always difficult because of the anxiety and all of that. Three points, we won… It’s most important.”
Cristian Roldan gave the Sounders hope in the 76th minute, becoming the first player to score for the club in a Club World Cup at Lumen Field.
“Yeah, obviously exciting to be the first to score in a Club World Cup in our stadium. I mean, what an unbelievable experience,” Roldan said post-match. “We felt like we deserved more. We shot ourselves in the foot, letting two goals in in the first half, and an incredible performance, I think, from our team. We showed a lot of resilience.” Seattle will now look to bounce back in upcoming clashes against Atlético Madrid and PSG.