Brazilian side Botafogo produced a major upset at the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over reigning European champions Paris St-Germain at the Rose Bowl.
The result throws Group B of the tournament wide open, delivering a significant blow to the French champions in their second group stage match.
Despite PSG dominating possession throughout the contest, they were unable to break down a resilient and highly organized Botafogo defence. The decisive moment came in the 36th minute against the run of play. A turnover near midfield created a counter-attacking opportunity for the Brazilian club, which culminated in Igor Jesus unleashing a shot that took a deflection, leaving PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded as the ball found the back of the net.
Luis Enrique’s PSG, who had scored 19 goals in their previous five matches, continued to apply pressure in the second half, while Botafogo focused on protecting their lead. The French side thought they had found an equaliser in the 79th minute, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
Botafogo held firm for the remainder of the match to secure a famous and unexpected victory, a result that significantly boosts their chances of advancing to the knockout stages of the tournament.
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