Sundowns face three tough opponents at Club World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns’ only previous foray outside of the African contingent proved a sobering experience, but some eight years on, they will be hoping to make some impact on the new-look Club World Cup.

Sundowns feature in the 32-team field for the expanded tournament, which is being hosted in the United States this month, taking up one of the four places reserved for Africa.

Eyes on the prize. 🏆 #TakeItToTheWorld | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/qqqhMrvbES
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 1, 2025

It is a momentous opportunity for a South African side, rubbing shoulders with the most successful club sides from across the globe over the last few years.

They have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund, who were runners-up in the Uefa Champions League in 2024; Rio de Janeiro giants Fluminense and Ulsan from South Korea.

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— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) June 4, 2025

Sundowns competed at the eight-team Club World Cup in 2016, just weeks after winning their Champions League title, but were surprisingly easily brushed aside by Kashima Antlers from Japan, dropping down to the fifth-place playoff where Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors handed them a resounding 4-1 defeat.

Percy Tau’s consolation goal was the only high point of their brief appearance at the tournament in Japan.

Sundowns can be expected to be much more circumspect and approach their matches in the US much differently from the dominant, all-controlling way they play in the Premier Soccer League.

SUNDOWNS' THREE CWC OPPONENTS:

ULSAN HD (South Korea) on 18 June - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando (kick-off 00h00 SA time)

The Korean club was founded in 1983 and is owned by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, as is common among clubs in Asia that are the property of large corporations.

They have won the K-League on five occasions, most recently last year, which was their third successive championship season.

They have also twice before been Asian Champions League winners, in 2012 and 2020.

This season they lie third in the K-League, six points off the top with the league approaching the halfway mark after losing to leaders Jeonbuk last weekend.

Ulsan are coached by former winger Kim Pan-gon and their most internationally recognised star is goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo.

They have six foreigners on their books, with Brazilian strikers Yago Cariello and Erick Farias, Swedish midfielders Darijan Bojanić and Gustav Ludwigson plus wingers Giorgi Arabidze from Georgia and Matías Lacava, who is Venezuelan.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Germany) on 21 June - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati (kick-off 18h00 SA time)

German giants Dortmund were Champions League runners-up last year when Real Madrid beat them in the final and have a long history of success in international competition.

They won the Champions League in 1997 and are eight-time Bundesliga champions, although their last success was in 2013.

The club was founded in 1909 and according to the latest Uefa club coefficient ranking, are the seventh best team in Europe.

They finished this season in fourth spot, 254 points off winners Bayern Munich, which means they will be back in the Champions League again next season.

Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy was tied in second place in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 21 strikes.

Germany’s squad for this week’s Nations League includes four Dortmund players – defender Waldemar Anton plus midfielders Karim Adeyemi, Pascal Gross and Felix Nmecha.

There is a South African connection with Bafana Bafana players Steven Pienaar and Delron Buckley were both previously on the books of Dortmund, while Sundowns’ current winger Tashreeq Mathews was in the youth set-up at the Bundesliga club.

FLUMINENSE (Brazil) on June 25 - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (kick-off 21h00 SA time)

Fluminense play their home games at the famed Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro and are among the most decorated teams in Brazilian football as one of the oldest, having been founded in 1902.

They are coached by Mano Menezes and have produced several stars for the country over the years.

They were also Club World Cup runners-up in 2023 when they lost to Manchester City in the final, albeit by a 4-0 scoreline.

The league season in Brazil is only 11 matches old and Fluminense are in fifth place, four points behind leaders Flamengo.

Fluminense do not have any players in the Brazil squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers and veteran Argentine goal poacher German Cano is battling a race against time to be ready after injury.