Paris Saint-Germain are back in Club World Cup action on Thursday evening as they take on Brazilian side Botafogo in California.
The upcoming duel sees Europe’s best face off against South America’s top dog, with Botafogo entering the tournament as Copa Libertadores holders while PSG claimed UEFA Champions League glory in some style at the end of May.
The Parisians continued from where they left off in Munich in their opening game of the tournament, as they swatted aside Atlético Madrid 4–0. PSG were familiarly brilliant, but a couple of late goals did add some gloss to the scoreline.
They’ve emerged as one of the favourites to go all the way this summer, and victory here will all but see Luis Enrique’s side book their place in the last 16 as group winners. Botafogo, though, were also victorious on Matchday 1, albeit against tamer opposition in the form of the Seattle Sounders.
While South American teams have coped well in the United States so far, this is an almighty test for Fogo, who entered the tournament with fairly tame expectations after a indifferent start to the 2025 season.
Here is Sports Illustrated's guide to this Club World Cup fixture.
What Time Does PSG vs. Botafogo Kick-Off?
- Location: Pasadena, United States
- Stadium: Rose Bowl
- Date: Thursday, June 19 / Friday, June 20
- Kick-off Time: 2 a.m. BST / 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
- Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
PSG vs. Botafogo Head-to-Head Record
This is the first competitive fixture between PSG and Botafogo.
Current Form (all competitions)
How to Watch PSG vs. Botafogo on TV
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PSG Team News
Enrique opted for close to a full-strength team on Matchday 1 against Atlético Madrid, and with the European champions poised for a deep run at this tournament, it’d be a surprise if he didn’t rotate handily for this fixture.
There aren’t believed to be any fresh concerns in the PSG camp, although Ousmané Dembélé could miss out again due to the thigh injury he sustained on international duty. Bradley Barcola is set to be back in action.
Gonçalo Ramos led the line in the Frenchman’s absence, and the Portuguese forward could get the nod again. Warren Zaïre-Emery and Lee Kang-in are also in contention to start after featuring off the bench last time out, while Lucas Beraldo and Lucas Hernandez may operate in defence.
Enrique only picked a 24-man squad for the tournament, which is one of the smallest squads in the competition.
PSG Predicted Lineup vs. Botafogo
PSG predicted lineup vs. Botafogo (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Hernandez; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doué, Ramos, Barcola
Botafogo Team News
The Brazilians signed Joaquin Correa and Arthur Cabral before the start of the tournament, and both featured off the bench against the Seattle Sounders. Both should play similar roles on Thursday, with Paiva poised to opt for a similar starting XI.
Cuiabano also played a cameo role on Matchday 1 but was initially a doubt for this fixture due to a back issue. However, the winger’s now expected to recover in time.
They otherwise have no injury concerns, and Nottingham Forest-bound Igor Jesus will continued to be leaned on as a goalscorer after he scored in their 2–1 victory at the weekend.
Botafogo Predicted Lineup vs. PSG
Botafogo predicted lineup vs. PSG (4-2-3-1): John; Vitinho, Cunha, Barboza, Telles; Gregore, Freitas; Artur, Savarino, Cuiabano; Jesus
PSG vs. Botafogo Score Prediction
Botafogo were forced to cling on against Seattle last time out, with their lack of second-half control a concern given the level of opposition they’re up against here. South American teams have so far opted to fight fire with fire against the Europeans so far, but Fogo can ill afford to be so brave on Thursday.
A more measured game plan must be adopted, and they’re simply going to have to hope that PSG have an off day in the final third. The French juggernaut will relentlessly access their majestic front three, and they will create chances at will. There’s no stopping them.
Expect Enrique’s men to have to work for three points here, but they should win with some degree of comfort.
Prediction: PSG 3–1 Botafogo
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as PSG vs. Botafogo: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
