‘Football is a religion’ -like atmosphere’ across the U.S. and why PSG is ‘best team in the world’

Callum Williams, soccer commentator for Apple TV, added a new role this summer as one of the voices covering the FIFA Club World Cup for DAZN.

Williams has experience covering the world’s game, from the EFL Championship to the Copa Libertadores. In recent years, he’s found passion in the Brasilerao Serie A, and at the 2025 Club World Cup, he’s witnessed the flare that ignited the entire country.

“Honestly, I think people, if they didn’t know, certainly realize how big and well-loved these football clubs are,” Williams told GOAL. “Brazil is just like any other football-obsessed nation in the fact that football is a religion, it’s not sport. It never will be. It’s more than that. It’s a part of the culture.”

From Flamengo fans storming Times Square in New York City to Fluminense, Palmeiras, and Botafogo supporters creating electric atmospheres across the tournament, Williams is thrilled the world is finally taking notice of the brilliance of the Brasilerao.

“I think it’s been wonderful to see how well the games have been attended,” he said. “I commentated on a Botafogo game against Atletico Madrid, and Botafogo fans were by far and away the better fans compared to the Atletico Madrid fans. And you know, it’s this is nothing new to me. It’s just something that I think the Brazilian football fans and South American football fans should be very, very, very proud of.”

The CWC semifinals kick off this week at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and he believes a shock could be in store. Fluminense, out of Brazil, have been the Cinderella story of the tournament, making their way to the final four. They will take on Chelsea for a spot in the final against the winner of PSG-Real Madrid – and Williams believes they can best the English powerhouse.

“I do think they’ve got what it takes to get past Chelsea,” he said. “And Thiago Silva? Legend, wherever he’s played, whether it’s Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain and now Fluminense, he is a living legend. I can’t believe he’s still operating at this level at the age of 40. You know, it’s remarkable to see. I think they’ve got what it takes.”

As for the other semifinal? He had a point of view.

“I think PSG is the modern-day success story in European football at the moment, and they’re my favorite to win it,” he said. “I think they are the best team in the world right now.”

Williams discussed the impact of Brazilian football on the Club World Cup, the growth of the competition and more in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity