The 2025 Club World Cup just served us a spicy football feast. And at the heart of it was Chilean midfielder Marcelo Allende, who played the full 90 minutes as South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns threw everything they had at Borussia Dortmund and nearly pulled off something special.
From start to finish, this match had it all. Goals, drama, heartbreak, and a certain Jobe Bellingham making headlines like his brother Jude usually does.
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Here’s how the chaos unfolded:
Lucas Ribeiro gave Sundowns a dream start
The Brazilian forward struck first and gave Dortmund a little wake-up slap. 1-0 and the South African fans were bouncing.
Lukas Nmecha responded instantly
Dortmund didn’t hit the panic button. Instead, Nmecha tapped in the equaliser as if to say, “Nice try, but we’re still here.”
Guirassy put Dortmund ahead before halftime
A thumping header after some silky build-up play. Guirassy does what Guirassy does best. Boom. 2-1.
Jobe Bellingham’s full debut got its Hollywood momentMamelodi Sundowns Nearly Stun Borussia Dortmund In 7-Goal Thriller, Credits- Twitter Sundowns keeper Ronwen Williams will want this one erased from the tapes. A misclearance fell perfectly to Bellingham, who chest-controlled, skipped past Allende and slammed it in like he’s been doing it for years. Dortmund up 3-1.
But Sundowns weren’t done.
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Khuliso Mudau scored, unfortunately for the wrong team
A scrappy own goal made it 4-1 to Dortmund. It looked over. It wasn’t.
Iqraam Rayners hit back with a bullet header
Sundowns smelled blood. Rayners made it 4-2 and the vibe shifted.Mamelodi Sundowns Nearly Stun Borussia Dortmund In 7-Goal Thriller At Club World Cup, Credits- Twitter
Lebo Mothiba’s 90th-minute goal turned up the tension
3-4. One goal away from a historic comeback. The Sundowns fans were living on the edge of their seats. Dortmund? Just hanging on by their shoelaces.
Despite the late surge, Dortmund held on. Three points in the bag. Group F survival looking good.
Marcelo Allende was everywhere for Sundowns but couldn’t stop Bellingham’s brilliance.
Jobe Bellingham made his first full start and grabbed the spotlight with a goal and a mature display.
Mamelodi Sundowns showed grit, flair, and guts, and they made a real statement, even in defeat.
Dortmund go top of Group F with four points, but they’ll know they survived a proper scare.
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If this is what the Club World Cup is dishing out in the group stages, bring on the knockouts. Sundowns may have lost the match, but they won a ton of respect. And maybe, just maybe, there’s more chaos coming.
