Paris Saint-Germain vs Botafogo. Not great news for European soccer as two big teams fell—in the same day, too. At the center of the drama was PSG’s shocking 1-0 loss to Botafogo in Group B—a result few saw coming. The Brazilian side, fresh off their Copa Libertadores title, got the jump on the Champions League holders early.

The game’s only goal came from Igor Jesus, who split the PSG center-backs perfectly after collecting a sharp through ball from Marlon Freitas. His shot, which took a deflection off Willian Pacho, wrong-footed Gianluigi Donnarumma and rolled into the net.

PSG came out stronger after the break. Goncalo Ramos nearly leveled the match with a header, but Botafogo goalkeeper John made a fantastic save through reflex. Luis Enrique responded with endless substitutions, Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola, Nuno Mendes and Fabian Ruiz, but the Brazilian team stayed disciplined and organized enough to prevent any effort that would frustrate them.

Botafogo sits first in Group B; PSG sits behind. This is another trend that’s growing; four of the eight groups are led by South American teams for the first time.

European Clubs Suffer Double Defeat

Before PSG’s loss, Porto also went down to Inter Miami earlier in the day—flipping the tournament narrative. What looked like another year of European dominance quickly changed in just a few hours.

These upsets might actually be healthy for the competition. There were real concerns that the Club World Cup could feel predictable. But with results like these, that fear seems overblown.

Inter Miami caught Porto off guard, and then Botafogo did the same to PSG—except with a much more calculated, disciplined approach. They defended well, broke quickly, and stuck to a game plan that worked.

In head-to-heads with teams from other continents, South American clubs now boast five wins and three draws in eight matches. No losses so far.  Part of it has to do with the calendar. It’s the middle of the season for South American teams while European teams are still getting out their offseason rust.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Botafogo: Igor Jesus Takes the Moment

For a second, it looked like PSG had control. Botafogo had just regained possession and PSG’s backline seemed set. But Igor Jesus saw a gap and didn’t hesitate.

He’s not a flashy player, what stands out is his incredible work rate off the ball. As soon as he saw an opening between Pacho and Beraldo, he went for it. Jefferson Savarino slipped the ball through perfectly, and Jesus sprinted in, took a couple of touches, and fired low. The ball deflected and beat Donnarumma. Seconds later, he was in the stands celebrating with the Botafogo fans.

Were Enrique’s Choices the Right Call?

This was PSG’s first real test against non-European opposition in this year’s Club World Cup—and the lineup choices by Luis Enrique are sure to be debated.

With Dembele unavailable, Ramos started up front. The midfield featured young talent, Mayulu and Zaire-Emery, alongside Vitinha. In the back, Hernandez and Beraldo were given the nod instead of Marquinhos and Mendes.

While PSG dominated possession, they didn’t pose enough threat in front of goal. Ramos missed a golden opportunity from a low cross by Desire Doue. Defensively, things fell apart when Igor Jesus scored. Pacho and Beraldo looked out of sync and lost focus at the wrong time.

Enrique made changes in the second half. Mendes, Neves, Ruiz, and Barcola came on, and the team did look better. But it didn’t matter. By then, the momentum had shifted. Botafogo’s defense became confident, and PSG’s earlier mistakes proved costly.

You could argue Enrique took a risk with his starting XI—and this time, it didn’t work out.