Boca Juniors and Benfica will face each other in their eagerly awaited debut in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Both teams arrive at the competition at two radically different moments. While the Argentinian team arrives without having found stability and with a new coach, coach Bruno Lageâs Benfica arrives as one of the best teams in its league, competing at the highest level in the UEFA Champions League, where they had a solid performance.
The arrival of club legend Juan Roman Riquelme as the teamâs president gave the Boca Juniors fans the illusion of seeing a totally dominant team like in the early 2000s. However, his tenure has been marked by constant coaching changes and a failure to win a Copa Libertadores. Despite this, the arrival of Miguel Angel Russo as the teamâs coach has fans excited.
Even if Benfica failed to win the Portuguese league, they arrive into the game as clear favorites after their good momentum. Moreover, they count on Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria as one of their top players. Not only does the Argentinean stand out, but coach Bruno Lage has managed to consolidate a very consistent team in just one season, with players like the Greek Vangelis Pavlidis and the Turkish Kerem Akturkoglu.
Boca Juniors confirmed lineup vs Benfica
Despite the fact that Miguel Angel Russo has just arrived at Boca Juniors as coach, his previous experience with the team, together with his great coaching career, support his appointment. For this tournament debut, the Argentinean team will miss Edinson Cavani since he failed to recover from injury in time. Even so, the team still counts on experienced players such as Ander Herrera, Luis Advincula, and Carlos Palacios, who will lead the squad.
Players of Boca Juniors huddles prior to the Torneo Apertura Betano 2025 quarterfinals match between Boca Juniors and Independiente at Estadio Alberto J. Armando on May 19, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With that in mind, Boca Juniors will field the following starting lineup against Benfica: Agustin Marchesin; Luis Advincula, Nicolas Figal, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Ander Herrera, Rodrigo Battaglia; Kevin Zenon, Carlos Palacios, Alan Velasco; Miguel Merentiel.
see also
Where to watch Boca Juniors vs Benfica live in the USA: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Benfica confirmed lineup vs Boca Juniors
Benfica enter the match as the favorite against Boca Juniors. However, head coach Bruno Lage faces key absences as Zeki Amdouni, Manuel Jorge Silva, and Alexander Bah remain out. These players have missed several recent games. As a result, the team has adapted to playing without them.
Considering that, Benfica will line up as follows against Boca Juniors: Anatoliy Trubin; Samuel Dahl, Nicolas Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Alvaro Carreras; Florentino Luis, Fredrik Aursnes, Renato Sanches; Angel Di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis, Bruma.
