“It will help us for the future, to continue getting stronger”

Monterrey defender Sergio Ramos commented on Monterrey’s 1-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the round of sixteen of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup tournament in Atlanta.

Sergio Ramos spoke to the media after Mexican side CF Monterrey lost 1-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the round of sixteen at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The result not only means that Monterrey, the last CONCACAF team standing going into this match, are eliminated from the competition – it also means that Ramos will not get to play against his former club side Real Madrid in the fourth quarterfinal on Saturday.

Ramos gave an overall summary of the match, saying that “today was good, more than anything”; he elaborated greatly, saying that “the crowd and our fans, and the people who understand football, they saw that our team gave everything, what it required to be in a match like this one. Sometimes in football, things go well, and other times, you suffer a defeat but with pride and with your head up after you played a fantastic game from the first minute to the last.”

He reiterated this statement by saying, “Our conscience is very clear, we are happy. Sometimes things do not go the way you want; we had a few opportunities but we did not capitalise like the other teams, but I think that our supporters are proud of how we defended the jersey and we have to continue moving forward. Today we have to exit the competition but it will help us for the future, to continue getting stronger.”

He said regarding the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and how it affected the match, particularly the strength of Dortmund, after both teams played in warm conditions throughout the group stage: “We knew that the dome would have an efficiency for them with the speed and their players that they have up front; they were very efficient in the first 45, they were able to put two in.”

Ramos was asked what he would tell his former teammates in Madrid about Mexican football and his experience in it, and he responded by saying, “I think Mexican football is going up, with a fantastic project to develop stronger players, similar to the major leagues [in Europe]; not all of the changes are immediate, you need time to adapt and the Mexican league is on their way. A lot of players that have been in the Premier League and in our league, they know the quality of the Mexican teams.”