Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Fluminense, all recent Libertadores champions, moved into the round of 16. Each club gave the European heavyweights a challenge, thrilling millions of fans across the country.
There is renewed hope for Brazilian supporters after years of setbacks against European sides in FIFA competitions.
Flamengo and Palmeiras topped their groups: Flamengo pulled off a 3-1 upset of Chelsea to become the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds. Botafogo, who stunned the recently crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain, and Fluminense advanced as runners-up.
“Our first goal was the round of 16, but that isn’t the final objective,” said Jhon Arias, Fluminense’s right winger.
All four Brazilian clubs share similar expectations for the next phase.
Botafogo and Palmeiras will meet on Saturday, a match that guarantees at least one Brazilian club in the quarterfinals. Flamengo will face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Fluminense will collide with Inter Milan on Monday.
Corinthians remains the last Brazilian club to win the Club World Cup, beating Chelsea in 2012. That format was far smaller than the current 32-team tournament that brings together clubs from five continents.
New Optimism
Botafogo, the reigning Libertadores champion, produced the group-stage’s biggest surprise by defeating PSG. Before that match, Brazilian fans and football experts expected the French club to dominate the Carioca side, which had been fluctuating this year.
“Botafogo was the team that defended us best all season, obviously in our league and in the Champions League,” said Luis Enrique, PSG’s manager.
Two factors have helped Brazilian clubs: they are mid-season while European teams are near the end of a grueling campaign, and they are accustomed to the heat that has defined this tournament.
Still, coaches, executives, players, and Brazilian fans didn’t show much optimism before the tournament began. That has shifted, as Flamengo supporters in Philadelphia demonstrated by singing “it’s Bayern’s turn” after the German club was confirmed as their next opponent.
“The football graveyard is full of favorites. Almost no one can openly challenge PSG. Could they try? They could, but that would be a big risk in a competition like this,” Renato Paiva, Botafogo’s coach, said after beating the European champions.
Atlético Madrid’s 1-0 victory, scored late, over Botafogo was the only defeat for a Brazilian club in the group stage.
South American Power
Brazilian teams are so competitive in South America that they have won the last six Copa Libertadores titles, including five all-Brazilian finals. Their regional dominance is also evident in this Club World Cup, where their two Argentine rivals, Boca Juniors and River Plate, failed to survive the group stage.
Much of that success for Brazilians comes from the talent found across the rest of South America, as has happened in the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian league attracts young footballers from throughout the region before they move on to other countries for money and prestige. But some choose to stay and develop in a competitive league outside Europe, one that features up to six serious title contenders each year.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Flamengo’s creative midfielder, is Uruguayan. Botafogo’s key player is Venezuela’s Jefferson Savarino. Fluminense relies heavily on Arias. Palmeiras expects more goals from Argentine forward José Manuel “El Flaco” López. And none of them has ever played in Europe.
“Why not?” answered Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, when asked about the possibility of coaching in South America.
“Many, many great things in football’s history have come from South America. From Brazil, especially Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay,” Guardiola said.
Xabi Alonso, his counterpart at Real Madrid, noted that the Club World Cup “is coming at a good time for European football to see the level outside.”
Alonso named Brazilian teams and River Plate among those who caught his interest: “Adapting is important, but we can see teams we don’t train with daily, and they’re very good. Before the start we said it would be European-dominated, and now our eyes are open.”
Brazil has also drawn several Portuguese coaches, with success. Paiva took over Botafogo from compatriot Arthur Jorge. And Abel Ferreira has won almost every trophy with Palmeiras since joining the club in 2020. That has further sharpened Brazilian clubs’ competitiveness.
“I’m very proud to be in Brazil. I had many chances to leave and I didn’t,” Ferreira said.
When asked how wide the gap is between his team and the European clubs, Ferreira replied: “It’s minimal. We have to compete.”
The knockout rounds of the Club World Cup will tell if he is right.
