Benfica and Boca Juniors Set for High-Stakes Clash at Club World Cup
Portuguese giants Benfica embark on their Club World Cup journey against Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors in Miami.
Benfica, one of Portugal's most prestigious football clubs, is set to begin its campaign in the Club World Cup in the United States with a challenging match against Argentine side Boca Juniors.
This encounter, which takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, features two storied clubs competing for a place in the knockout stages of the tournament, alongside Auckland City and Bayern Munich.
After securing their spot in the expanded tournament through a complex qualification process, Benfica is eager to capitalize on this opportunity and progress to the latter stages.
Due to restrictions on the number of teams representing a single country, Benfica was selected to represent Portugal, having achieved the seventh-best record among UEFA clubs over the last four years.
Although this marks Benfica's first participation in the Club World Cup, they are regarded as the most successful Portuguese team in past international competitions, having won the Intercontinental Cup in 1961 and 1962 as European champions.
While lifting the global trophy may seem a daunting task, advancing from Group C is Benfica's primary ambition.
Benfica's head coach, Bruno Lage, will be without long-term absentees Alexander Bah and Mano Silva, and the loan option for Swiss striker Zaki Amdouni has not been activated, meaning he will return to his parent club, Burnley.
Nevertheless, Benfica boasts a strong squad to face Boca Juniors, including the Greek international striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who had a prolific season in the Primeira Liga, scoring 19 goals and providing seven assists in the 2024/2025 campaign.
Boca Juniors' history in the Club World Cup is limited to one appearance in 2007, where they finished as runners-up after losing 4-2 to AC Milan in the final.
However, they have previously claimed the Intercontinental Cup three times, a record they share with other teams.
Boca Juniors is recognizable for their iconic blue and gold jerseys and their unique home ground, La Bombonera, often referred to as 'the chocolate box'.
They qualified as the second-best team in the CONMEBOL rankings over the past four years and feature an experienced squad, including former Manchester United players Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Edinson Cavani, and Ander Herrera.
This encounter, which takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, features two storied clubs competing for a place in the knockout stages of the tournament, alongside Auckland City and Bayern Munich.
After securing their spot in the expanded tournament through a complex qualification process, Benfica is eager to capitalize on this opportunity and progress to the latter stages.
Due to restrictions on the number of teams representing a single country, Benfica was selected to represent Portugal, having achieved the seventh-best record among UEFA clubs over the last four years.
Although this marks Benfica's first participation in the Club World Cup, they are regarded as the most successful Portuguese team in past international competitions, having won the Intercontinental Cup in 1961 and 1962 as European champions.
While lifting the global trophy may seem a daunting task, advancing from Group C is Benfica's primary ambition.
Benfica's head coach, Bruno Lage, will be without long-term absentees Alexander Bah and Mano Silva, and the loan option for Swiss striker Zaki Amdouni has not been activated, meaning he will return to his parent club, Burnley.
Nevertheless, Benfica boasts a strong squad to face Boca Juniors, including the Greek international striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who had a prolific season in the Primeira Liga, scoring 19 goals and providing seven assists in the 2024/2025 campaign.
Boca Juniors' history in the Club World Cup is limited to one appearance in 2007, where they finished as runners-up after losing 4-2 to AC Milan in the final.
However, they have previously claimed the Intercontinental Cup three times, a record they share with other teams.
Boca Juniors is recognizable for their iconic blue and gold jerseys and their unique home ground, La Bombonera, often referred to as 'the chocolate box'.
They qualified as the second-best team in the CONMEBOL rankings over the past four years and feature an experienced squad, including former Manchester United players Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Edinson Cavani, and Ander Herrera.
Translation:
Translated by AI