This Group C encounter of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will see Argentine outfit Boca Juniors face Portuguese heavyweights Benfica on June 17 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Here are our preview and prediction for the game.
Boca Juniors are a storied Argentine club that play in the Argentine Primera División (officially known as the “Torneo Betano”). Once home to the legendary Diego Maradona, the Azul y Oro have been in the Argentine top flight since 1913. In recent years, they have won the Primera División (2022), the Supercopa Argentina (2022), and the Copa de la Liga Profesional (2022).
Boca Juniors are currently second in the Primera División after 16 games, tied on points with first-placed Argentinos Juniors and behind only on goal difference. They have a squad filled with both young and experienced stars. Goalkeeper Leandro Brey and defenders Lautaro Blanco, Lucas Blondel, and Marcos Rojo are starters at the back, while Miguel Merentiel and Carlos Palacios are regular contributors in the attacking third. They also have experienced campaigners like Edinson Cavani, Sergio Romero, and Ander Herrera. Their current manager, Miguel Ángel Russo, recently took over from Fernando Gago. While Boca Juniors play possession-based football and like to build up through the middle, their attacking output is an area that needs real improvement.
Coming to their Portuguese opponents, Benfica are another historic club playing in the Portuguese top flight, the Primeira Liga (Liga Portugal Betclic). They ended the 2024/25 season in second place, two points behind winners Sporting. They also competed in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the Round of 16, where they lost to Barcelona. Since winning the league in 2022/23, Benfica have picked up only two other pieces of silverware: the 2024/25 Taça da Liga and the 2023 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
Benfica’s Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis had a superb season in both the league and the UCL. Ángel Di María, Anatoliy Trubin, Álvaro Carreras, Orkun Kökçü, Tomás Araujo, Kerem Aktürkoglu, and Fredrik Aursnes also impressed. Their current head coach, Bruno Lage, likes to play fluid, attacking football with high pressing and quick transitions. He focuses on intelligent movement and positioning to create numerical advantages in different areas of the pitch.
Looking at these two sides, on paper, Benfica are a far superior team to Boca Juniors across the pitch. Their exposure to UEFA Champions League football gives them an additional advantage against the Argentine club. We have them as strong favourites to win this encounter.
Score Prediction: Boca Juniors 0–3 Benfica
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
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