Botafogo stunned Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 on Thursday night in each club’s second match of the Club World Cup.
Igor Jesus scored late in the first half, and the South American champions made it stand up through a tense second half while moving atop the group on six points.
PSG hadn’t lost in any competition since May 3, but the European champions looked understandably weary at times before a lively Rose Bowl crowd of 53,699.
Jesus’ stunning score in the 36th minute was the first goal allowed since May 17 by PSG, which routed Atlético Madrid 4-0 last Sunday in Pasadena.
The French powerhouse had outscored its last three opponents by a combined 12-0, winning the French Cup and the Champions League final along the way.
The Brazilians became the first team to stop PSG scoring since March when Liverpool defeated them 1-0 in the Champions League. The French side had scored in 19 consecutive games until losing on Thursday.
“Every team is motivated, especially against our team,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “Our team struggled against their defense. I think Botafogo is one of the toughest defensive teams in the tournament.”
Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said his team had beaten PSG at their own game.
“Being a great team, playing together, all the guys defending, all the guys attacking, and that’s the big secret of this PSG team, that’s why they compete and win,” he said.
“They are a fantastic team. I said this, PSG are a lesson to everybody nowadays in football. And I told my guys, just be a team, enjoy playing together, attack together, defend together, and enjoy. And they did they did it. Fantastic.”
Botafogo players celebrate after scoring a goal against PSG in the Club World Cup.
Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembélé missed his second straight game for PSG with a quadriceps injury. His teammates still dominated possession in the first half, even though coach Luis Enrique rotated his starting lineup.
Everything came undone with the remarkable individual effort by Jesus, the Brazilian striker reportedly headed for Nottingham Forest next season.
PSG finished with 16 shot attempts to Botafogo’s four — but all four were on target, whereas PSG only got two on net.
Jesus controlled Jefferson Savarino’s long pass, outmaneuvered two defenders and thumped a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. He leaped over a barrier and up onto the front row of the Rose Bowl stands to celebrate with Botafogo’s ecstatic supporters.
PSG had little of the sublime connective play that characterized their stellar run over the past month, but Luis Enrique’s club is still in strong position to advance as they head to Seattle on Monday to play MLS’ Sounders.
Thousands of boisterous Brazilian fans made the trip to celebrate one of the most remarkable victories in Botafogo’s storied history. The club faces Atlético on Monday at the Rose Bowl with a surprising chance to advance from this difficult group.
Brazil’s four teams at the 32-club tournament are unbeaten so far and Paiva said it showed the strength of the game in the South American nation.
“I think it’s the quality of Brazilian players, the quality of what people are doing in Brazil, especially the coaches,” he said.
“Brazil will always be Brazil in world football.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.