Boca Juniors take on the visitors Benfica in the round 1 match of FIFA Club World Cup. The match will be played on Tuesday, June 17th at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL).
Boca Juniors have had little to celebrate in 2025. The Genoese giants have been on a downward trajectory for more than a season. In 2024, they finished sixth in the overall Argentine standings — not a disaster, but certainly below expectations for a club of their stature. Worse still, they failed to qualify for the Copa Libertadores after being eliminated by modest Alianza Lima on away goals — losing 0-1 in Peru and only managing a 2-1 win at La Bombonera. Hopes of focusing solely on the domestic Primera quickly faded: Boca stumbled through the group stage, barely edged Lanús on penalties after a goalless draw, and then fell short against Independiente. Their attack has lacked creativity, and injuries to key players like Benedetto and Medina have further complicated the situation. Even fan support has started to wane amid increasing pressure on manager Diego Martínez.
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Benfica won the Primeira Liga under Roger Schmidt in 2023, but lost the crown to Sporting in a fiercely contested 2024 title race. The club had hoped to bounce back under new manager Bruno Lage, and there were promising signs early on — including a run to the Champions League knockout stages, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. Domestically, Benfica lifted the Portuguese League Cup with a win over Sporting in the final, thanks in part to standout performances by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. However, Sporting took revenge by winning the league and the main domestic cup, leaving Benfica once again in their shadow. Despite this, the squad remains solid, and players like Di María and Rafa Silva continue to produce. Now, with the regular season over, Benfica will look to this tournament as a platform to restore pride — and collect a significant financial reward.
This will be the first-ever meeting between these historic clubs — not even a friendly has taken place before. While Boca have pedigree, their recent form has been erratic. Benfica are in better shape and should be backed to win in regular time.
Prediction for the match: Benfica to win.
