Boca Juniors vs Benfica

Benfica and Boca Juniors kick off their Club World Cup journey in Group C at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Monday.

A legendary European club faces off against a storied South American powerhouse, with both teams vying for a knockout stage spot alongside underdogs Auckland City and formidable Bayern Munich.

Benfica earned their place in FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup through a secondary qualification route, securing a spot due to their strong performance in UEFA’s four-year club rankings, despite restrictions on the number of teams per country.

The Portuguese giants, who reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals twice recently, made waves last season with a 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid and victories over Monaco, Red Star Belgrade, and Juventus. Their campaign was halted by Barcelona in the round of 16, and domestically, they fell short against rivals Sporting Lisbon in both the league and the cup final after extra time.

Despite only claiming the Taca da Liga last season, Benfica’s 84 goals in the Primeira Liga highlight their attacking prowess, which they’ll bring to the U.S. While this marks their Club World Cup debut, Benfica competed in the Intercontinental Cup in 1961 and 1962 as European champions, falling short both times.

Winning the global title may seem ambitious, but advancing from Group C is the Eagles’ baseline goal.

Boca Juniors, appearing in the Club World Cup for only the second time after a 2007 final loss to AC Milan (4-2), previously won the Intercontinental Cup three times, a joint record. Known for their iconic blue-and-gold kits and the vibrant La Bombonera stadium, Boca qualified as CONMEBOL’s second-highest-ranked eligible team over four years.

Much of their qualification stemmed from a 2023 Copa Libertadores final run, where they lost to Fluminense. Since then, Boca have struggled, failing to qualify for the 2024 Libertadores and suffering an embarrassing playoff exit to Peru’s Alianza Lima this year—a stark contrast to their last continental title 18 years ago.

After a recent Torneo Apertura elimination by Independiente, Boca sacked coach Fernando Gago, bringing back Miguel Angel Russo for his third stint with the club, adding to the turbulence as they head to North America.

With a squad featuring seasoned players like former Manchester United stars Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Edinson Cavani, and Ander Herrera, Boca have much to prove in Group C.