After winning their first Brasileirão title in nearly three decades and lifting the Libertadores for the first time, Botafogo now face a brutal Club World Cup group featuring PSG, Atlético Madrid and Seattle Sounders. Can they keep the fairytale going on the global stage?
1) Who will Botafogo face at the Club World Cup?
Botafogo have been drawn into Group B and these are their group stage fixtures:
15 June: vs Seattle Sounders. Lumen Field, Seattle.
19 June: vs Paris Saint-Germain. Rose Bowl, Los Angeles.
23 June: vs Atlético Madrid. Rose Bowl, Los Angeles.
2) Domestic titles
Botafogo boast three Brasileirão titles, crowned Brazilian champions in 1968, 1995 and last season, more on that shortly. Overall, eight clubs boast more triumphs, including fellow-Club World Cup participants Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense.
Meantime, the Estrela Solitária are 21-times Cariocão winners, this the state championship for clubs based in Rio de Janeiro, the fourth-most of any team, albeit only four of those have come since 1997.
3) An historic 2024 campaign
As already alluded to, 2024 was an historic year for Fogo, winning their first Brasileirão title for 29 years, ultimately finishing six points clear, but only rubber stamping the title thanks to a 2-1 victory over São Paulo on the final day at a jubilant Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos.
Not only that, the Alvinegro Carioca also reached a first-ever Copa Libertadores Final, their sole previous semi-final appearance coming in 1963, when they were beaten by Pelé's Santos. This time round, after a 6-3 aggregate victory over Peñarol, Fogo faced Atlético Mineiro at the Monumental.
Amazingly, despite having Gregore sent off after just 30 seconds, yes really, Fogo battled in Buenos Aires and prevailed 3-1, with Luiz Henrique, Alex Telles and Júnior Santos the scorers to secure this historic maiden continental triumph.
4) Concerning form in 2025
Since then, things have not quite gone to plan for Botafogo. To start 2025, they finished ninth in the 12-team Campeonato Carioca, thereby missing out on the final stages, and were demolished 4-0 over two legs by Copa Sudamericana winners Racing Club in the Recopa Sudamericana.
Meantime, after losing their first two away matches, Fogo only just scraped through to the Libertadores knockout stages, courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Universidad de Chile at the Engenhão last month. In the Brasileirão, the defending champions are currently sixth, having won only five of 11 fixtures so far, albeit they're currently unbeaten in four leagues games, most-recently defeating Ceará 3-2 on 4 June, with captain Marlon Freitas the match-winner.
5) Past Club World Cup expirence
Botafogo will make their FIFA Club World Cup debut this summer, becoming the 11th different Brazilian club to compete at the tournament, by far the most of any nation.
They did though feature at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup last December, although this did not go to plan, demolished 3-0 by Pachuca in their only match at the competition in Doha.
6) Botafogo players to watch: Igor Jesus
If Botafogo stand any chance of springing a surprise, Igor Jesus will be their main man for goals.
After four years with Shabab Al Ahli, the striker joined Fogo a year ago, scoring 15 goals for the club to date, seven of which have come this calendar year, making him their top-scorer in 2025.
7) Botafogo players to watch: Artur
Another dangerous attacking player is right-winger Artur, who arrived in Rio as recently as January, joining from Zenit Saint Petersburg, as part of a swap deal that saw Luiz Henrique head to Russia.
The 27 year old was the match-winner against Santos at Vila Belmiro on 1 June, his fourth goal in Fogo colours, now hoping to shine on a global stage.
8) Botafogo players to watch: Alex Telles
No matter where in the world they are from, every club competing at this tournament has a player you've heard of but completely forgotten about, and Botafogo are no different.
Their entry is former Galatasaray, Inter, Porto, Sevilla and Manchester United left-back Alex Telles, who arrived from Al-Nassr last September, a key figure in their historic double success soon after. He's racked up 39 appearances in Fogo colours, scoring just his third goal for the club against Internacional last month, and will be their first-choice left-back this summer.
9) Manager Renato Paiva: a man under pressure?
Artur Jorge, the manager who led Botafogo to Brasileirão and Libertadores glory last year, is no longer in charge, departing to take over Al-Rayyan in Qatar back in January.
His replacement, Renato Paiva, is already a man under pressure, having won just nine of his 18 matches since being appointed in March, losing six of them, so a perceived failure this summer could cut his tenure very short.
10) Will Botafogo be able to beat a European heavyweight?
Botafogo begin their Club World Cup campaign against Seattle Sounders, facing the MLS outfit on their home turf, before taking on both Paris Saint-Germain and then Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl.
That opener in Washington state is certainly winnable, but Fogo will inarguably be massive underdogs for both fixtures in California, so it would require a major shock for them to reach the last 16.