Sounders to Open Club World Cup Campaign Against Botafogo at Lumen Field

Seattle Sounders are set to kick off their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 journey on Sunday, June 15, with a high-stakes clash against Brazilian giants Botafogo. As detailed by SoundersFC.com, the match will take place at 7:00 p.m. PT at Lumen Field.

This marks Seattle’s second Club World Cup appearance after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Al Ahly in 2023. Drawn into Group B, the Sounders face a daunting challenge with all three group stage matches against continental champions: Botafogo (CONMEBOL), Atlético de Madrid (La Liga), and Paris Saint-Germain (UEFA Champions League). Fortunately, all games will be played at their home ground in Seattle.

Botafogo, founded in 1904 and three-time Brazilian league champion, qualified by winning the 2024 Copa Libertadores. Key players include winger Artur Guimarães, who has notched two goals and three assists since arriving from Zenit, and striker Igor Jesus, the club’s top scorer this season with three goals.

For Sounders midfielder João Paulo, the match will bring familiar emotions as he faces his former club, where he logged 106 appearances. The Sounders are hoping to make history with their first-ever win in the global competition.