Nottingham Forest-bound Igor Jesus was the talk of the Club World Cup after he scored the goal to down French giants Paris Saint-Germain in California.
The Botafogo striker is in line to link up with the Reds after his participation in the FIFA tournament, with teammate Jair Cunha also set to make the switch. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has declared both deals “sealed”.
And Jesus showed Forest fans what they can expect from him next season when he fired his team to a shock 1-0 win over the Champions League winners at the Rose Bowl. His first-half strike from outside the area deflected off defender Willian Pacho and flew past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Jesus’ effort led South American football expert Tim Vickery to compare the Brazilian to former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba. He said in a translated post on X: “Igor Jesus - the Drogba of modern times.”
After the game, Botafogo owner John Textor demonstrated his appreciation for Jesus. The American businessman took a moment to shine the player’s boots in the mixed zone area of the stadium, according to Brazilian publication Globo.
Jesus said it felt like he was “in a dream” when he celebrated with Botafogo fans after finding the back of the net. He told Globo: “When I climbed the wall, my vision actually went black, it felt like I was in a dream.
“I just want to thank everyone who believes in my work. As I always said, when I arrived at Botafogo, many people didn't believe in my potential. But I knew what I could give this group, and I'm very happy with everything I've built here."
Prior to the clash, Botafogo supporters had praised the 24-year-old. Brazilian website Torcedores carried a debate about whether Jesus was a better player than PSG’s Goncalo Ramos.
Influencer Pedro Certezas had said: “I won't trade him. If PSG sends an email to John Textor: 'Would you like to trade Igor Jesus for Gonçalo Ramos?'. No, period. The answer is no! Because our striker is better.” According to Torcedores, one fan replied: “Igor Jesus will still be the best centre forward in the world in a few years, write it down.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique spoke about Jesus afterwards. Jair had also played his part in Botafogo’s victory by helping his team to keep a clean-sheet.
“I think that today Botafogo was the team that defended best against us all season, (taking into account) our league and the Champions League,” Enrique said. “They made a low block from the beginning and were very efficient, united.
“They had opportunities to make the transition, they scored the goal with Igor Jesus. It was a morale boost for them. I repeat, I think they defended very well, we didn't create the goal opportunities that we normally do. We are used to working against low blocks, but it is always difficult to attack a team that defends low.”
Jesus’ goal certainly got Reds fans excited. One said on X: “Igor Jesus is gonna be a beast, can sense it.”
Another posted: “On his way to terrify premier league defences. If he can score against PSG he can score against anyone!”
Will Jesus be a hit for Forest? Click HERE to have your say