How Boca Juniors and Benfica played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Club World Cup 2025 – The Athletic – The New York Times

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10-man Benfica came from two goals down to salvage a draw in the best game of the 2025 Club World Cup so far.
Boca Juniors raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to well-taken goals from Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia. But they were stung on the stroke of half-time after conceding a soft penalty that was coolly converted by Angel Di Maria.
Benfica substitute Andrea Belotti was sent off for dangerous play in the second half but the Portuguese side still found a way to rescue a point. Nicolas Otamendi sent a bullet header into the bottom corner to make it 2-2.
And both teams finished the game with 10 men as Jorge Figal was shown a red card for a horrible challenge.
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Boca Juniors 2 Benfica 2 – Three red cards, sound and fury in Club World Cup’s best game so far
Another really busy day of Club World Cup action is on the way tomorrow!
It all starts at MetLife Stadium with an intriguing clash between giants of the Brazilian and German variety.
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We have just seen our first South American team in action at this Club World Cup, and there is another on the way this evening!
Brazilian champions Flamengo are at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face Tunisian champions Esperance.
Flamengo will be expected to come through that one pretty comfortable but their opponents are backed by a pretty vocal support in the City of Brotherly Love, so don't rule them out!
One team who won't be particularly happy to see that game finish level will be Auckland City.
Should both Benfica and Boca Juniors lose to Bayern Munich, as expected, it will come down to whichever of the two teams beats the New Zealanders by a greater margin.
That points to Auckland City being on the end of two more particularly bruising defeats…
So the first round of Group C fixtures are in the books and here is what the group looks like:
After a game filled with animosity, you won't be surprised to hear that tempers spilled over after the game, too.
Boca Juniors goalkeeper Marchesin looked to pick a fight with anyone that would take him on. Fortunately, the Benfica players didn't entertain it and the situation was defused.
There were three red cards — including one for Ander Herrera who had already been substituted — and four yellow cards in the often ill-tempered match.
While Boca Juniors were not expected to get anything from that game, there will be a real sense of dejection in their dressing room after letting a two-goal lead slip out of their hands.
It will hurt even more given they were playing much of the second half with an extra man. And that is compounded by the schoolboy defending that allowed Otamendi a free run at Kokcu's corner to thump it past Marchesin in goal.
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Well, that is the kind of game you want to see at a major tournament.
It certainly wasn't two of the world's best teams doing battle, but it was a superb spectacle. There were goals (four of them), red cards (two of them) and so much drama throughout.
It feels fair that both teams have left Hard Rock Stadium with a point each.
FT Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
What a ride!
Undoubtedly the game of the Club World Cup so far has been brought an end.
It was a match that had absolutely everything and the two teams have to settle for a point apiece, which is probably fair.
90+1' Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
I was expecting a lorry load of stoppage time here in Miami, but somehow we have only got five minutes.
There have been the full quota of substitutions, two red cards, one goal and endless time wasting from the Boca Juniors players.
I thought there would be 10, maybe more, but instead Benfica have just five to find a winning goal.
90' Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
Ouch. That is horrendous challenge from Figal and he can have no complaints over being given his marching orders.
In a part of the pitch where Benfica posed no threat to Boca Juniors, he decided to lunge into a challenge on Florentino Luis with his studs crashing into the midfielder's knee.
No doubt in the referee's mind as the red card was straight out of his pocket!
85' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Phwoar, that is a thumping header from Nicolas Otamendi!
After another delay for a minor scuffle in the penalty area, the Boca Juniors defenders had fallen asleep a little. That allowed Otamendi to race towards the six-yard box where he met Kokcu's outswinging corner and powered it past a helpless Marchesin.
After being booed by the Boca fans coming out of the tunnel earlier, I'm sure the former Man City centre-back enjoyed that one!
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84' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Yes, they can find an equaliser!
And it is one of their Argentinian players who has scored it.
81' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Benfica's task has been made much harder by that red card for Belotti. But they do still look a threat going forward, against a Boca Juniors that is clearly tiring in the Miami heat.
Benfica have nine minutes of normal time, plus a healthy amount of stoppage time, to find an equaliser — will they be able to do it despite having a man less?
77' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Oh, that is a beauty of a sliding tackle from Jorge Figal!
Pavlidis looked to be racing into the Boca Juniors penalty area but he was stopped in his tracks by the flying Argentine. His challenge had to be perfectly timed, and it was. He got an adequate amount of the ball before crashing into the Benfica striker.
Pavlidis very clearly mouthed 'VAR' to the referee, but no chance they're getting involved in that one.
73' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Yep. As we all know by now, once a referee goes over to the VAR monitor he will almost always reverse his on-field decision.
And Belotti will play no further in this game, or indeed the next, as he has been sent off for catching Costa on the back of the head with his boot.
Like the penalty in the first half, that feels very harsh but at least Cesar Arturo Ramos and his VAR colleagues are being consistent, I suppose.
71' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Ooo. Jeers from the Boca Juniors section of the stadium as Belotti catches the back of Costa's head.
It perhaps looks worse than it actually was, with the connection between boot and head being glancing at best.
But the referee has trudged over for another look at the VAR monitor, so we know what is coming here…
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69' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
There has been no real flow to this second half which, as I said earlier, will suit Boca Juniors down to the ground.
A lazy foul from Carreras gave another Boca player the chance to roll around on the ground and kill some time. There was also a yellow card for the potentially Real Madrid-bound defender.
Giving away stupid fouls is definitely not going to help Benfica back into the game.
67' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
Worth mentioning that Alvaro Carreras has been a starter for Benfica today despite some rumours suggesting he might not play amid interest from Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants have an agreement with him on personal terms but have not yet reached the same with Benfica. Carreras remains Madrid's plan to reinforce the left-back position.
66' Boca Juniors 2-1 Benfica
And there will be a pair of substitutions for Boca Juniors.
One of them is forced with the scorer of the first goal, Merentiel, unable to continue — Exequiel Zeballos has replaced him.
In midfield, Williams Alarcon is on for Palacios.

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