'For football in America this is huge' - NBA superstar Jimmy Butler backs Paris Saint-Germain to win Club World Cup, says tournament will elevate game in the U.S.

NBA star Jimmy Butler backed French side Paris Saint-Germain to win the FIFA Club World Cup, proclaiming his love for the Ligue 1 side and saying that soccer is his "favorite sport."

PSG, reigning Champions League winners, ended their 2024-25 season by winning the treble, including the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.

“I think the tournament is amazing,” Butler told FIFA's website. “I love PSG, as I’m sure the world knows, so I’m glad that I’m able to be here and support. It’s big for the United States, it’s big for L.A. I’m happy to be here and support ... it’s so much different in person. You get to come here and watch some high-level football being played. I’m just excited to see who ends up on top, but I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be PSG."

Butler said the Club World Cup, hosted in the U.S. this summer, will help elevate the game in the country.

“I’m super excited. I think football, soccer here in this county, is on the way up,” Butler said. “All the best players are coming here to build their brands and show their faces. It’s just going to give our youth another thing, another goal, another dream to reach for. I love it. As everybody knows, it's definitely my favorite sport, I’m just not that good at it. But for the youth, for football in America this is huge.”

Butler is a well known soccer fan, having picked his jersey number with the Golden State Warriors based on his love for Neymar and Ronaldinho - and others who have donned No. 10. The 35-year-old is also part of a consortium that is attempting to buy a stake in 2024-25 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.

PSG won the opening game of their Club World Cup group stages against Atletico Madrid, 4-0, and will face Brazilian giants Botafogo on Thursday.