Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a goalless draw and eliminated from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at the Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday afternoon in Miami, Florida.
Sundowns needed a win to oust the Brazilian Serie A side who fielded their strongest XI, bar veteran defender Thiago Silva in their Group F finale in the scorching heat for the early 15h00 kickoff.
Borussia Dortmund beat Ulsan in the other fixture played simultaneously with a narrow 1-0 victory over K-League side Ulsan – who departs the United State of America with three defeats.
It was a game of near misses with the Brazilians against the Brazilian outfit – with Tashreeq Matthews and Jhon Arias both guilty of spurning great chances to open the scoring at each end in the opening half.
As Renato Gaucho said pre-match, it was a game of chess, with both sides looking to hold possession to tire the other out in the humid conditions – but it was Sundowns who were superior in that department.
However, the simply failed to test goalkeeper Fábio enough, and leave the competition with potential what if’s as they finished third in the group with four points, one behind the 2023 Copa Libertadores champions.
