Time for Botafogo!
Men's football•
Paris Saint-Germain held a final training session at the UC Irvine campus on Wednesday 18th June, ahead of their match against Botafogo on Matchday 2 of the group phase of the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup.
After their resounding 4-0 victory over Atlético Madrid in the tournament opener, the Rouge et Bleu followed up with several days of intense training in California. Their sights are now set on a clash at the top of Pool B with Brazil's Botafogo, who also beat Seattle Sounders 2-1 on Matchday 1 at Lumen Field on Monday.
Paris midfielder Fabian Ruiz had this to say about the match: "We know that the South American teams are all teams that show a lot of intensity and aggression, and that play good football. Botafogo won the Copa Libertadores and have put in some good performances in recent seasons. They're a great team, so we're aware that it's going to be a very difficult game, and it'll be important for us to go out and win," the Spanish international explained to PSG TV during the live matchday-1 coverage.
A win that would take the Parisians a big step closer to qualification for the knockout phase, and one that the capital club's goalkeeper Gianlugi Donnarumma and his team-mates are preparing for with determination: "Everyone knows that this is a very important match. We need to win it and take these three points to keep going in the right direction. We still have the same momentum, which is very important. The team is in the right frame of mind, playing well and taking advantage. That's very important, it's the main key to finding the concentration we need and being 100% for the match."
Gonçalo Ramos agreed: "We're preparing for this match as usual, like all our other matches. We go into every game with the desire to win. We've never played against Botafogo, but we're going to play our way and try to win." The Paris Saint-Germain No8 echoed thoughts about the team's focus: "We're preparing for this match in the same way as always. I think it's important not to change anything and to stay in the same frame of mind, and everything will go well."
It's a game in which the rouge et bleu keeper will once again be able to count on the unwavering support of the fans, both in the USA and in France: "Everyone knows that having the fans with us is fantastic. We have wonderful supporters who are always behind us in every stadium in the world. It's very important for us." The Portuguese striker concluded with a message for them: "Thank you for the support, even if it will be late in France, I hope everyone will watch the game... and enjoy it!"