How South America's underdogs are taking the Club World Cup by storm and stealing the spotlight

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is underway, already delivering excitement and upending expectations with surprising results on the grandest club stage.

Heading into the tournament, questions were asked over how seriously Europe’s elite would approach the competition, with widespread belief that UEFA’s representatives would dominate without needing to shift out of first gear until later in the competition.

Instead, South America’s six teams - River Plate, Botafogo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Boca Juniors - have emerged as standout contenders, as all remain undefeated while producing superb performances and results that have turned the script on its head.

Here, Sports Mole examines how South America’s underdogs are stealing the Club World Cup spotlight.

Passion to prove themselves on the world stage

While there were debates about how seriously UEFA teams would take the tournament, given its relative lack of history and the perception that it lacked strong outside competition - with many predicting the later stages to simply be a “Champions League lite” - the South American competitors have shown a clear eagerness to prove themselves on the world stage.

South American teams were once the pinnacle of club football, but as the European landscape has taken centre stage in more recent times, this tournament offers the CONMEBOL teams a chance to recapture their past glories and compete with the very best.

It is not just the players showing their passion, though, as their fervour is being more then matched by the supporters, with parts of America appearing to be overtaken by the fans of clubs like Botafogo and Boca Juniors.

This hunger, both on and off the pitch, is evident in their performances, with each game showcasing relentless desire, drive and a fighting mentality which are reflected in the speed of their attacking play and the intensity of their pressing - though it has also occasionally spilled into moments of madness, most notably Boca Juniors’ double sending off against Benfica.

Adaptability and tactics behind the brilliance

The passion and intensity of both supporters and players have certainly played a key role, but their success goes far beyond just that on the pitch.

South American teams have long been stereotyped as fierce and flair-filled sides, but in this tournament, they have shown much more, combining it with evolved tactical sophistication and adaptability.

All six teams remain unbeaten halfway through the group stage’s second matchday, and there has been a handful of particularly standout performances and results.

Boca Juniors showed an extremely intense high press that saw them race into a 2-0 lead against Benfica - though it also led to Nicolas Figal’s red card for a late challenge - while there was a clear emphasis on long balls to wide areas, where their full-backs and wingers combined to create an overload against the Benfica defence. The Argentinian side did eventually slow down as the game progressed, with Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi able to drag Benfica back to a draw.

Fluminense drew 0-0 with Borussia Dortmund but were the dominant side, outshooting their opponents 14 to seven and creating one big chance to Dortmund’s zero. That was achieved through a focus on wide areas rather than playing through the middle, with veteran Thiago Silva dropping very deep to draw Dortmund forward, opening space between the defensive, midfield and attacking lines, and allowing more space for Fluminense’s wingers and midfielders to combine.

Finally, the greatest result came when Botafogo unbelievably defeated Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain 1-0, and despite PSG’s possession dominance, the Brazilian side unquestionably deserved their victory.

Botafogo did not employ the expected high press, instead focusing on stopping PSG from playing through the middle, showing a marked increase in aggression whenever PSG’s midfielders had possession, with this also leading to their winning goal. Furthermore, Botafogo would shape their press to force the ball to left-back Lucas Hernandez, who is not the natural attacking outlet that Nuno Mendes provides and often struggled to connect with PSG's advanced players.

While in possession, Renato Paiva’s side would look for the long ball to striker Igor Jesus, who has emerged as one of the top performers at the competition, while they would aim to keep the ball in congested wide areas rather than looking to switch flanks and slow down play. 

A new era on the club football horizon?

Whether South America’s representatives can maintain their momentum and claim the Club World Cup title remains to be seen, but their performances thus far could lead to much more than just the lifting of a trophy.

The CONMEBOL sides are reminding the world of their rich footballing heritage and the passion they bring to the game, and as the world watches them threaten to topple their UEFA counterparts’ dominance, South America could be set on the path to re-establishing the region as a global powerhouse on the club stage.

Written by
Ellis Stevens