15 hours ago
Boca Juniors Fans Pray For A Bayern Munich Victory
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 20: Joao Palhinha #16 of FC Bayern Munchen scores his team's first ... More goal past Manuel Neuer #1 of FC Bayern Munchen during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group C match between FC Bayern München and CA Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium on June 20, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Boca Juniors fans will be praying for a Bayern Munich victory over Benfica in the final round of Group C fixtures. If Benfica wins or draws against Bayern, the Buenos Aires side will be eliminated regardless of the result in its match against Auckland City.
Boca Lights Up Miami
Boca Juniors fans have invaded Miami, Florida over the last week, creating a sea of yellow and blue for the fixture against Bayern Munich at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The noise brought by travelling fans would make you think the game was being held in Buenos Aires.
South Beach has been taken over by Boca banners and tens of thousands of supporters too, as the side from Argentina joins the other South American nations in spreading fanfare through what has otherwise been a rather subdued Club World Cup.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 15: Fans of Boca Juniors cheer for their team during a fan gathering on the ... More sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at North Beach Oceanside Park on June 15, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by)
The atmosphere in Boca's fixtures has been electric and that has completely galvanised the team on the field too. On paper Bayern Munich and Benfica were set to sweep past Boca, but that has proved far from the case.
Big Boca Performances
Boca Juniors stunned the world by going 2-0 up against Benfica in their opening fixture. Only to be pegged back by two goals from Benfica's Argentina internationals; Ángel Di María and Nicolás Otamendi.
In hindsight that might seem like two points dropped, but Boca would certainly have taken it before the game. Then, Boca were minutes away from another tie with European opposition as German giants Bayern Munich needed a very late 2-1 winner to clinch 3 points.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 20: Michael Olise #17 of FC Bayern Munchen celebrates scoring his ... More team's second goal with Leroy Sane #10 and Josip Stanisic #44 during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group C match between FC Bayern München and CA Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium on June 20, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by)
Stars Harry Kane and Michael Olise made the difference for Bayern either side of a fantastic Boca Juniors goal from Miguel Merentiel which lifted the roof off the Hard Rock stadium. It was a moment of delirium for Boca fans that will enter the history books regardless how this tournament finishes for them.
Bayern Must Defeat Benfica
Now there is just one game remaining for each side in Group C. On Tuesday Bayern Munich takes on Benfica and Boca Juniors faces whipping boys Auckland City. The team from New Zealand has a goal difference of -16 over two games.
Boca must win and Benfica must lose for the team from Argentina to have any chance of progressing to the next round. However if this occurs Boca also needs a seven goal swing in its favor. Boca currently holds a -1 goal difference and Benfica is on +6.
Luckily for Boca, Auckland has conceded an average of eight goals per game in this tournament. On the other hand, Benfica needs only a draw against a Bayern team that has now qualified for the next round and may opt to rest some players. It is almost certain that Boca will put a handful of goals past Auckland, but it is definitely not certain whether or not Bayern Munich will do the team from Argentina a favor.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 20: A general view of match action at Hard Rock Stadium as fans of ... More Boca Juniors put out banners and flags during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group C match between FC Bayern Munchen and CA Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium on June 20, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
