Borussia Dortmund Edges Past Ulsan in Sizzling Club World Cup Clash—Advances to Last 16

Borussia Dortmund secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea’s Ulsan HD in a dramatic Club World Cup Group F encounter played amid sweltering conditions in Cincinnati, USA. The match, held on Wednesday afternoon at TQL Stadium, was decided by a first-half goal from Daniel Svensson, which was enough for the German giants to progress to the tournament’s last 16 as group winners.

The game kicked off in the intense midday heat, with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees Celsius (96.8°F) outside, and reportedly hitting 43 degrees inside the stadium, making conditions exceptionally challenging for both teams. Despite the weather, the match drew a crowd of just over 8,000 spectators, including notable figures such as US Vice President JD Vance and FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino.

Svensson’s decisive strike in the 36th minute, following a strong start by Dortmund’s attack, proved to be the difference. The German side constantly threatened Ulsan’s defence, with Jobe Bellingham, Felix Nmecha, and Karim Adeyemi at the forefront. However, Ulsan’s goalkeeper Hyeon-Woo Jo kept his team in contention with several crucial saves, including denying Serhou Guirassy’s powerful header and Pascal Gross’s well-struck effort.

Despite Ulsan’s improved showing in the second half—with Lee Jin-hyun forcing a save from Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel—the South Korean side was unable to find an equalizer. Dortmund had opportunities to extend their lead, but Jo continued to thwart their attempts, including stopping a late Yan Couto shot.

Following the result, Dortmund topped Group F with seven points, two ahead of Brazilian side Fluminense, who held Mamelodi Sundowns to a goalless draw in Miami. Fluminense secured second place and also advanced to the next round alongside Dortmund.

Post-match, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac praised his players for their resilience in the scorching conditions. “We can be satisfied. I think our performance was better than in the first two matches,” he remarked, acknowledging the extraordinary challenge posed by the heat. “What the boys are doing is incredible. Thirty-six degrees Celsius and 43 in the stadium. This is incredible,” Kovac added.

This victory marks Dortmund’s second straight win by a one-goal margin in the competition, following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns. Ulsan, meanwhile, end their group campaign at the bottom, having lost all three matches.