Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe has revealed the three reasons his side learned from competing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
This was Sundowns second appearance at the event with the first time coming in 2016. They finished third in Group F with four points in three games at the 2025 edition that had a revamped format.
Sundowns won a lot of hearts with Lucas Ribeiro’s goal in the 4-3 defeat to Borussia Dortmund voted the Goal of the Tournament, with Motsepe revealing three lessons the club learnt.
“In 2025, that dream became reality when Mamelodi Sundowns arrived in the United States to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup” he told Sundowns’ Magazine.
“After nearly a decade of striving to return to this stage since our last appearance in 2016, we finally earned the right to share our football, our culture, and our identity with the world again. Placed in Group F alongside South Korea’s Ulsan HD, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and Brazil’s Fluminense, our journey was filled with pride, passion, and 3 powerful lessons.
“Watching our team line up on the along the halfway line of the Inter & Co stadium for our first match of the tournament was an incredibly proud moment for everyone connected to the club. The Club World Cup anthem echoed across the stadium while our flag stood beside that of South Korea — two nations united through football.
“After nine years of sacrifice, setbacks, and unwavering commitment, Mamelodi Sundowns had finally made it back to the Club World Cup stage. Before the players broke out into their positions across the pitch, they paused and raised their fingers in the traditional Mamelodi Sundowns symbol to salute the supporters. And in that moment, the first lesson was clear: Persistence Pays Off.
“Our second match against Borussia Dortmund was framed as a true test of our credentials. After 60 minutes, the scoreboard read 4-1 in favour of the German giants. But that score line didn’t tell the full story. We had started the match with intensity and confidence.
“Lucas Ribeiro opened the scoring with a stunning solo goal — one that would later be voted VISA Goal of the Tournament. Dortmund responded with four goals of their own- but what came next defined our tournament.
“Instead of retreating to avoid embarrassment, we stayed true to our attacking style. Coach Miguel Cardoso urged the team forward. Two more goals followed from Rayners and Lebo Mothiba, and although we lost 4-3, the footballing world took notice. Analysts and fans praised our bravery and beauty. As one global anchor said, ‘Mamelodi Sundowns may have lost the game, but they won our hearts’.
“From this game, we learned a second lesson: We didn’t change for the world — and the world loved us for it.
“In football and in life, the pressure to adapt to fit in is strong. But staying true to who we are — African, expressive, ambitious — became our greatest strength. We should all be proud of what makes us different.
“[But after Fluminense] in the change room, silence and disappointment filled the air, the scoreboard said that we had failed. But outside that room, something remarkable had happened. Supporters in the stadium, and all over social media were celebrating us.
“We received praise from around the world — even Arsène Wenger himself shared kind words and insight on our team. It was only once I had returned to South Africa and reflected on our campaign, that I discovered the third lesson. That was when we discovered our third lesson from the Club World Cup: Sometimes you win in ways the scoreboard can’t show.”
