Atletico Madrid Win, But Still Go Out of Club World Cup

Atletico Madrid kept attacking and pushing against Botafogo in Pasadena, California. They had 23 shots and created five big chances but they didn’t score until the 87th minute, when Antoine Griezmann – who came on at half-time – finished off a cross from Julián Álvarez at the far post.

On the side-lines, Atletico’s coach Diego Simeone asked his players to give one last effort. But even another goal wouldn’t have been enough.

At the same time, over at Lumen Field, Paris Saint-Germain were beating Seattle Sounders 2-0. That meant PSG, Botafogo and Atletico all had six points. The group would be decided by goal difference – and Atletico needed two more goals to go through.

When the fourth official showed six minutes of added time, Atletico’s fans in the Rose Bowl cheered. But that was their last moment of hope. At the final whistle, it was Botafogo’s fans – behind one of the goals and filling one of the only busy parts of the stadium – who were celebrating in their black-and-white shirts.

To be fair, Botafogo defended really well. Atletico were upset about a few big refereeing decisions – especially two penalty shouts – but it was Botafogo, the underdogs, who went through to the last 16. This is the same team that won the 2024 Copa Libertadores and surprised PSG earlier in the tournament.

Atletico might feel unlucky. They won two of their three games in a very tough group – against the champions of Europe and South America, and Seattle Sounders playing at home. Given all that, some will question why Atletico didn’t strengthen their team before the tournament, especially after ending their La Liga season poorly.

After the game, Simeone said: “I want to congratulate Botafogo. They played with courage and defended how you should defend. When you defend and attack well, you give yourself a better chance of winning.”

Atletico’s Club World Cup ended quietly on Monday – even though they won the match. Their earlier 4-0 loss to PSG and Botafogo’s surprise win against PSG cost them in the end. Still, the Atletico players didn’t seem too upset – Griezmann was even seen smiling and chatting with Botafogo players after the game.

For Botafogo, though, this means a lot.

“Brazil is a huge country, with special football and many great players,” said their coach Renato Paiva. “We also have very good coaches. Many people think Brazilian football isn’t strong anymore, but we’re proud to show otherwise. We’re proud to represent our country and our club.”

Now Botafogo will move on to the last 16.