High Drama, Goals, and Red Cards Light Up Boca Juniors vs. Benfica
The FIFA Club World Cup kicked off with all the chaos and excitement fans could hope for as Boca Juniors and Benfica clashed to a tense 2-2 draw at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. This wasn’t just another group stage match—by halftime, the momentum had already swung enough to keep anyone at the edge of their seat.
Boca Juniors wasted no time showing why their South American passion translates so well to big international stages. Miguel Merentiel cracked open the scoring in the 21st minute, a brilliant solo effort after finding a pocket of space inside Benfica's penalty area. Barely six minutes later, Rodrigo Battaglia doubled Boca’s lead. The midfield workhorse ghosted into the box and finished off a slick passing move, sending waves of euphoria into the pockets of blue and yellow in the crowd.
If anyone expected Benfica to roll over, they were quickly proven wrong. In stoppage time before halftime, the match burst with controversy when Boca’s scrappy defense got a little too aggressive. The referee, with some help from the ever-watchful VAR, awarded Benfica a penalty. Ángel Di María, facing off against his Argentine compatriots, coolly slotted home from the spot despite the crowd’s best efforts to rattle him.
Half time didn’t simmer things down. In fact, tempers hit boiling point. Ander Herrera, while not on the pitch, saw red for dissent from Boca’s bench—reminding everyone that football’s emotional stakes don’t diminish even if you’re wearing a warmup bib. Soon after, Andrea Belotti of Benfica received his marching orders for violent conduct after a tussle with Ayrton Costa. Bad blood? Certainly, but the action was far from over.
Boca, now down a man, looked determined to shut up shop and grab the three points, but Benfica kept turning the screw. Their pressure finally paid off with just six minutes to play. Orkun Kökçü curled a tempting corner into the heart of Boca’s area, and there was Nicolás Otamendi—veteran defender, Copa America winner—leaping to nod home the equalizer with authority.
As the final whistle neared, Boca’s defensive stand grew desperate, and Jorge Figal saw red for a reckless late challenge, chopping down a Benfica attack and reducing the Argentine side to 10 men. Both teams staggered over the finish line with ragged nerves, having gone through a match as exhausting psychologically as it was physically.
What’s Next in Group C?
The stakes are only going up from here. With both Boca Juniors and Benfica sitting on one point, the group looks lively. Bayern Munich announced themselves as favorites in style earlier in the day with a thunderous 10-0 win over Auckland City, putting serious pressure on the South American and Portuguese giants to keep pace.
The tension, the unpredictability, the stakes—this is what makes the Club World Cup irresistible viewing. The group stage is far from settled, and if this opening tussle is a taste of what’s to come, buckle up—things are only just getting started.
