One of Europe’s most prolific strikers and a legendary, record-breaking centre-back will go head-to-head in Tuesday’s FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ last-16 showdown between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey .
Serhou Guirassy has blazed a trail in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League in his maiden season with Dortmund. The 39-year-old Sergio Ramos, meanwhile, has showcased his enduring quality since joining the Mexican giants in February.
Speaking on the eve of their meeting in Atlanta, Guirassy revealed he is relishing the chance to test himself against an all-time great.
“It’ll be my first time (playing against Ramos),” he said. “I can’t wait. Age isn’t a problem because you also see Thiago Silva, who is 40 and is still playing very well. It’s going to be a great match. Sergio Ramos is a great defender. He’s still proving that.”
Indeed, Ramos has played every minute of Monterrey’s Club World Cup campaign so far and helped them qualify for the knockout phase with an unbeaten record in Group E. Rayados conceded just once in their three games, and the Spaniard displayed his renowned goalscoring prowess with a fabulous header in their 1-1 draw with FC Internazionale Milano.
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In June 2006, Niko Kovac was captain of Croatia when he faced off against a 20-year-old Ramos in a pre-FIFA World Cup™ friendly. Almost two decades later, the Borussia Dortmund coach will be in the dugout when Ramos leads out the opposition at the colossal Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“He is a superstar,” Kovac said of the defender, who is Spain’s record caps holder. “Not only him, all of the players who are playing for such a long time. This shows their mindset. They are winners. They want to win in every single training session and in every single game. This is the reason why he is still performing (at a high level). For me, he is a leader. And as a leader, you want to be as long as possible at the highest stage. It’s a little bit funny, because now I’m a coach and he’s still a player. I think, in a few years, he will also be a coach.”
Ramos will have his work cut out on Tuesday against the skilful and clinical Guirassy. The Guinea international was the joint top-scorer in the 2024/25 Champions League, netting 13 times in just 14 appearances, with his tally including a stunning hat-trick against Barcelona. Only FC Bayern München’s Harry Kane, meanwhile, topped Guirassy’s 21 Bundesliga strikes.
The 29-year-old opened his Club World Cup account in Dortmund’s thrilling 4-3 group-stage victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.
“My goal is to score in every match, regardless of the opponent,” said Guirassy, who joined Dortmund from Stuttgart in July 2024. “If it’s Barcelona, or even in the Bundesliga, I try to score in every match. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible. But when I step on to the pitch, it’s to score goals.
“I always try to stay confident. We have some tough matches ahead of us. Next, we have a Round of 16 match against a good Monterrey team. We’ll have to be at our best to win. We have to play to our full potential.”
Guirassy also explained why Kovac’s front-foot style is helping him flourish.
“The coach wants to score goals,” he said. “I’m a striker, so that suits me fine. It’s a game that’s all about attack. That’s what I like best.”
Dortmund came into the Club World Cup on a high after winning their final five Bundesliga matches to bank fourth spot and Champions League qualification. Guirassy scored six times in that sequence, and Kovac hailed the striker for spearheading their end-of-season surge.
“Sehou is a very humble person,” Kovac said. “He’s a guy who respects everyone. He doesn’t feel himself as a superstar. He’s calm, he is not an extrovert. This is what I like. In this past season, I would say he was our ‘insurance’. He scored a lot of goals, and I feel he was the main actor in why we reached the Champions League.”
