The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup knockout games begin today with a Round of 16 matchup between two Brazilian powerhouses, the storied SE Palmeiras and the upstart Botafogo (and their controversial American owner John Textor). Here are five things you should know about tomorrow's game, which will be broadcast for free on DAZN.
Oliver Strand
1. Palmeiras, Botafogo aren't exactly goal machines
Palmeiras finished top of Group A with one win and two draws, the same as Inter Miami, but came out ahead on goal differential. But the four goals Palmeiras scored are the fewest for any FIFA Club World Cup group winner — and one of those was an own goal scored by Al Ahly striker Wessam Abou. Palmeiras scored the joint-second-fewest goals of any team to advance to the Round of 16.
Which teams, you might ask, advanced with the fewest? That would be Al-Hilal and Botafogo, with three goals each. Botafogo managed two wins from those three goals by beating Seattle Sounders 2-1 and Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 before finishing with a 1-0 loss to Atlético de Madrid.
Those low-scoring results line up with the performances of both teams in Brazil's Série A this season. Palmeiras currently sits in 4th Place after 11 games, with 12 goals scored and eight goals allowed: The team's leading scorer is Facundo Torres, formerly of Orlando City, who has two goals. Botafogo is in 8th Place, with 14 goals scored and seven goals allowed: The team's leading scorer is Igor Jesús, who has three goals.
2. A matchup of MLS No 10s
Torres should be a familiar name to Hudson River Blue readers. The former No 10 for Orlando was one of the best playmakers in Major League Soccer before he was sold to Palmeiras for a reported $14 million deal last December. The 25-year-old has been in and out of the lineup for his new club. Torres sat on the bench in the first group stage match against Porto, but then started in the 2-0 win over Al Ahly SC and the 2-2 draw with Inter Miami.
There's a good chance he'll once again face his old adversary Santiago Rodríguez, who left New York City FC for Botafogo for a reported $17 million deal in February just days before the start of the MLS season. Rodríguez was a write-his-name-in-Sharpie starter for NYCFC, but is largely being used as a late sub for Botafogo. He came on in the 86th minute in the 2-1 win over Seattle, in the 68th minute of the 1-0 win over Paris, and in the 74th minute of the 1-0 loss to Atléti. Expect him to come on late again in this match.
Michael Battista
3. The Palmeiras dangerman is Mauricio
Right now, the most potent attacker on the Palmeiras squad is Mauricio, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder from Brazil. He provided an assist against Al Ahly and scored against Inter Miami, accounting for one-half of the club's goals — and two-thirds of the goals that Palmeiras players actually scored.
When Palmeiras does manage to score, it's usually by sending balls up to attackers like the 24-year-old Brazilian striker Paulinho, or the 24-year-old Argentine striker Jose Manuel López.
You can see Mauricio combine with Manuel López on the second goal against Al Ahly. Mauricio does well to progress the ball after Palmeiras recovers the ball, then finds Manuel López, who's making a blistering run in the scorching heat. It's a quality goal — which makes you wonder why the team doesn't score more often.
Courtesy DAZN Football
4. Botafogo hurts you on the counter
Botafogo also looks to score on the counter, opting to sit back and soak up pressure then try to hurt you with speed and opportunistic scoring attempts. The team held 40% possession against Seattle, just 25% against Paris, and 39% against Atletí.
No wonder a possession-oriented player like Rodiríguez has yet to find his way into this squad.
Palmeiras tends to hold the ball more, which will suit Botafogo's style. But Palmeiras had just 35% possession in the emphatic 2-0 win over Al Ahly, and both teams will likely look to sit back and draw out the other side.
5. The X-Factor: A hot summer sun
That brings us to the game's x-factor: It will be a scorching-hot day at Lincoln Financial Field.
The heat dome that covered the East Coast might be gone, but the conditions on Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will be stifling on Saturday. What did you expect for a game played at high noon, in the tropical late June heat of Pennsylvania? The UV rays will be roasting the football stadium's newly-laid sod in the hours before kickoff, and both teams will want to preserve their energy for well-timed runs rather than chasing after the ball to maintain possession.
Palmeiras and Botafogo will be playing the opposite of keep-away (give-away?), hoping to catch out the other side and score what might be the only goal of the afternoon.
The winner will be rewarded with a Quarterfinal match against the winner of SL Benfica and Chelsea FC — and the opportunity to remain in Philadelphia and play one more game at Lincoln Financial Field, only that match will be held at a more civilized and heat-friendly 9:00 pm ET on Friday, July 4.
