Botafogo Defeat Seattle Sounders 2-1 Club World Cup Opener

The Seattle Sounders began their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-1 loss to Brazil's Botafogo at Lumen Field. Botafogo took an early lead with first-half headers from Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus, putting Seattle on the back foot. Despite a strong second-half response that included a deflected header goal from Cristian Roldan, the Sounders could not overcome the deficit. Seattle outshot Botafogo 22-12 but missed key opportunities to equalize, leaving their campaign in a difficult position ahead of upcoming matches against Paris St. Germain and Atletico Madrid. Botafogo's defense held firm in the closing stages to secure the win, positioning them second in Group B on goal difference. The Sounders will look to bounce back as they face challenging opponents in their remaining group games.