Mamelodi Sundowns have been setting the scene alight at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup (CWC) in the US, with their performances exciting South Africans and setting tongues wagging internationally.

Sundowns lock horns with famous Brazilian outfit Fluminense in their last Group F clash at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Wednesday night (9pm). The South African league kings need a win to advance to the last 16.

Downs earned their first CWC win in their second appearance at the tournament, after 2016, when they beat South Korea’s Ulsan HD in their 1-0 opening game in Orlando, Florida.

The Pretoria team then went toe-to-toe with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling 4-3 defeat in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday that has been hailed as one of the games of the tournament.

In their first CWC appearance in the old seven-team format in Osaka in 2016 Sundowns had something of a baptism of fire, being dismantled 2-0 by host Japanese club Kashima Antlers and 4-1 by Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Their notable improvement this year has raised hopes they might beat Fluminense to advance past the group stage in Fifa’s newly-expanded, 32-team CWC. This has prompted mixed emotions from South Africans.

Debates have raged on social media, specially with supporters of Sundowns' “big three” opponents Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Some rival clubs’ supporters have reacted with envy, some have proclaimed they will never back Downs even if they are flying the flag for the country, and others have said it is important for the nation to rally behind the Pretoria club as they have been doing South Africa proud.