Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African football champions, have earned significant praise from top FIFA experts, including World Cup winner Tobin Heath, despite their group stage exit from the FIFA Club World Cup.
Heath, a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group alongside Arsene Wenger and Jürgen Klinsmann, lauded Sundowns as “absolutely exceptional” and “inspiring.”
She highlighted how the tournament provided valuable exposure to diverse football cultures and styles.
“They’ve been absolutely exceptional. They’re inspiring,” Heath told FIFA media, emphasizing the unique approaches teams brought to the competition.
Arsene Wenger echoed these sentiments, noting the unexpectedly high level of competitiveness from the group stages.
“The competition is much tighter than expected,” Wenger stated, adding that the Club World Cup marks “the start of something that will never stop again.”
Under coach Miguel Cardoso, Sundowns secured a 1-0 win against Ulsan FC, suffered a 4-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund, and drew 0-0 with Fluminense before bowing out.
