Ferreira: It was inspiring to watch Hakimi up close

It has been quite the year already for Jesus Ferreira.

In early January, he moved from FC Dallas to Seattle Sounders FC as part of a blockbuster Major League Soccer (MLS) trade. With his new club side, he has scored three goals and notched six assists in league play, and recently became a father for the first time, while also headlining a four-part docuseries called All Forward: The Jesus Ferreira Story. There is still plenty more to come, including several USA national team friendlies he hopes to be a part of in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 26™.

But arguably the biggest on-the-field highlight for the 24-year-old striker thus far was playing in the Sounders' three matches at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. While the Pacific Northwest outfit narrowly lost to European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Spanish giants Atlético de Madrid and reigning South American winners Botafogo, he tells FIFA that the opportunity to measure himself against the world’s best was invaluable.

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FIFA: In general, what did you think about the Club World Cup?

Jesus Ferreira: As a player, you always want to play in the highest tournaments possible. And obviously, that means being in a World Cup. For me and my team-mates, it was an honor. We wanted to be able to play at the highest level, and so for us, it was awesome.

How did you feel about Seattle's performance?

We know as a collective that we put it all out there and it showed in the games. Every game was competitive. We gave it our all and it opened our eyes to opportunities that we maybe didn't think were possible. We opened a new level of commitment to each other, the runs that we were making to each other, the commitment to fight each game and each ball. And now it's translating into our league performances right now.

We weren't able to get any points and it wasn't the way that we designed our first Club World Cup, but we are happy with the performance. The level of teams that we played against were high, like PSG, the Champions League winners and Atlético Madrid, who are known for their commitment, their runs and their battle. I think we matched up pretty well.

What were the biggest lessons you all took away from it?

I think that we all learned that each ball is going to be do-or-die. Each of the games is about inches. It's noticing how these European teams and top South American teams battle for each ball and run for each other.

You’ve played in summer friendlies against big European clubs, but what was that like to play someone like PSG in a competitive match?

It's totally different. European teams come out here for friendlies and stuff, but you know the stars are only going to play 45. This time, you know that they're going to play the strongest lineup out there. For us, it was recognizing that they are Champions League winners, but let's see what we can do. We went out there with the mentality that we are able to win games, that we are good enough to win games. It showed in our playing style. We were brave, we built out of the back, we were pressing them. Obviously, the games didn't end the way we wanted to, but we were happy with how we performed.

Did you gain a greater appreciation for a particular opposing player after playing against him?

For me, it was probably [Achraf] Hakimi. You see him playing right back and then at the end of the play, he's in the box scoring the goal. It's insane to see how much he runs and how composed he is on both sides of the field. It's crazy to think that's what it takes to be at the highest level. It's inspiring and something awesome to see up close.

After this experience, how much motivation is there to get back for the next Club World Cup in 2029?

A lot, for sure. For us, we always want to compete in any tournament that we play in, so for us, being able to play an international tournament, and winning one like Concacaf, it's awesome. That's what we always look for. A team like Seattle is always trying to win games, trying to win championships. I'm excited for what's to come.

The national team will have a group stage match in Seattle during the World Cup, so how much would it mean to you to play that in front of your home fans?

As players we want to play the best of the best. Thankfully I've been honored to play in a World Cup already. It motivates you and takes you to a new level. I remember my 2022 season, [making the USA World Cup team] was my goal. I had that from the beginning of January. It drives you, it brings out the best version of yourself. I'm excited, especially with it being at home this time. Hopefully I can perform to the best of my abilities toward the end of this season, and the beginning of the next season to show the coaching staff and everyone that I can be there.

You did not play in the Gold Cup because of your involvement in the Club World Cup, so where do you see yourself at the moment in regards to the national team?

I'm very level-headed in terms of how my season has been, and it hasn't been up to the standards of a national team level. I understand that. I can take full accountability that, yes, I haven't played my best to be called up, but at the end of the day, that motivates me to perform better, to get better, to push myself to the level of being called up to the national team. The coaches have the final decision, but all I can do is just keep performing and keep improving. For me, the rest of the season is just about making sure that I can be the best player, best version of myself on the field. I think it all starts with being here in Seattle and making sure that I can perform here at club level to then translate it to the national team level.

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