AFCON 2025
Atlético de Madrid secured a crucial 3–1 win over the Seattle Sounders in Group B of the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday, June 19, at Lumen Field in Seattle.
After their opening 4–0 defeat to PSG, this victory revitalizes their hopes of advancing in the tournament.
Pablo Barrios opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a crisp strike from outside the box, rattling the crossbar before finding the net. The goal underscored Atlético’s early dominance.
Just two minutes into the second half, Axel Witsel headed home to double the lead, capitalizing on Marcos Llorente’s shot that hit the bar and rebounded into play.
Seattle fought back quickly with Albert Rusnák scoring in the 50th minute after a defender failed to clear an Obed Vargas cross but that glimmer of a comeback was short-lived.
Five minutes later Barrios grabbed his second with a composed finish inside the box, restoring Atlético’s two-goal cushion and sealing the result .
The win lifts Atlético onto three points, tying them with PSG and Botafogo in Group B, though a poor goal difference due to their heavy loss to PSG and Botafogo’s unbeaten run means a big result is needed in their final game. They now face Botafogo in Pasadena on June 23, and must win by a significant margin to keep their knockout hopes alive .
Seattle, mathematically eliminated, still have one group game remaining against PSG as a last showcase of their quality on home turf.
