Brazilian side Botafogo secured a place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday, despite suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, a result that wasn’t enough to save the Spanish club from an early exit.
Atletico, who suffered a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their opening Group B fixture, went into the final round needing a significant win to keep their hopes of qualification alive. However, even with a late goal and a determined performance, Diego Simeone’s side fell short on goal difference.
In the group’s other match, PSG defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0, sealing top spot. That result left Atletico’s fate hanging by a thread in sweltering conditions at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, where 22,992 fans watched the drama unfold.
The decisive moment came in the 87th minute, when former France international Antoine Griezmann slammed home a cross from Julian Alvarez to hand Atletico a hard-fought victory. But the goal, while enough to secure three points, did not change Atletico’s fate.
Botafogo, who had earlier stunned PSG with a 1-0 win, finished second in the group on six points, behind the French giants on goal difference. Atletico also finished on six points, but an inferior goal tally meant they crashed out of the tournament.
“We’re frustrated that we didn’t qualify — we had six points,” said Atletico coach Diego Simeone post-match. “At the end of the day we were punished because it wasn’t enough. I’m proud of the work of my guys. We played our hearts out; we won two games but unfortunately we are not going through.”
The match began with a bright start from Botafogo, with Venezuelan international Jefferson Savarino testing Jan Oblak early on. However, Atletico gradually took control of possession and territory as the half progressed.
Julian Alvarez had a promising chance in the 41st minute, but his shot deflected off defender Alexander Barboza for a corner. Just before half-time, Atletico thought they had earned a penalty when Alvarez appeared to be kicked in the box. However, after VAR review, a prior foul on Barboza was identified, and the penalty was overturned.
“None of the decisions went our way,” Simeone remarked on the incident.
Atletico dominated much of the second half, pinning Botafogo back as the Brazilians adopted a defensive approach. Their best chance came in the 67th minute, when Igor Jesus met a cross from Cuiabano, only for Oblak to produce a strong save.
Eventually, Griezmann’s late goal offered a glimmer of hope, capitalizing on a lapse in Botafogo’s defense — but it came too little, too late to change the group standings.
