🔊 Which team will advance to the playoffs of the Club World Cup? In Group C, Bayern are seen as the clear favorites. Therefore, Boca Juniors and Benfica are likely to battle for the second spot in the first round. Another group opponent, Auckland City, is not expected to contend for anything other than the last place. Bookmakers favor the Europeans, but we'll explore different scenarios to make a well-founded prediction. Note that the match will take place in Miami, at Hard Rock Stadium.

Head-to-Head

📊 The opponents have not faced each other before.

Boca Juniors Team Overview

🔵 Boca Juniors have had a disappointing season. The team failed to qualify for the Copa Libertadores, with Alianza Lima proving too strong, winning in a penalty shootout. In the spring segment of the national championship, Boca finished second in their group. However, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals, losing to Independiente (0-1). Before that, they only managed to advance past Lanús thanks to a penalty shootout (1-0). Despite the unsuccessful season, Boca Juniors are making their second appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup, which has significantly expanded. The team qualified based on their CONMEBOL ranking.

🔝 Boca Juniors not only develop young talents but also attract veterans at the twilight of their careers. This is how Edinson Cavani, who has played for Napoli, PSG, and Manchester United, joined the team. In 2025, the forward featured in 12 matches for Boca across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing two assists. At the Club World Cup, the former Uruguay international will aim to remind everyone of his prowess.

Benfica Lisbon Team Overview

🔴 Benfica had a decent season, although they ended without any silverware. They reached the Round of 16 in the Champions League, where they fell to Barcelona. Since then, the team has remained unbeaten, at least in regulation time. However, the "Eagles" finished second in the Portuguese league, trailing Sporting by two points. Benfica faltered at the end, drawing in their last two fixtures. They also lost to Sporting in the Portuguese Cup final, going down 1-3 after extra time.

🔝 Among Benfica's ranks, Vangelis Pavlidis stands out. He delivered impressive performances in the Eredivisie with AZ and made his mark in the Portuguese league after joining the "Eagles" ahead of this season. He netted 19 goals in the national league, finishing second in the scoring charts, and added seven goals in the Champions League, including a hat-trick against Barcelona in the group stage. The Greek forward is in excellent form, having scored and assisted in a recent friendly match for his national team against Slovakia.

Latest news

Boca Juniors

📝 At the start of May, Fernando Gago was dismissed due to unsatisfactory results. Ahead of the Club World Cup, it was announced that Miguel Ángel Russo would take over as the new head coach of Boca Juniors. Russo, who previously managed San Lorenzo, is no stranger to Boca. Under his leadership, the club clinched their last Copa Libertadores title in 2007.

🎙 Boca Juniors captain Marcos Rojo discussed the team's objectives for the tournament: “We're going to take it game by game. Our group includes two other big names, so we want to start confidently by defeating Benfica and see if we can advance past the group stage. I believe that's our main goal to begin with.”

❌ In the upcoming match, Sergio Romero will be unavailable. The 38-year-old goalkeeper is still recovering from a knee injury.

Benfica Lisbon

📝 Negotiations over Álvaro Carreras have stalled. Real Madrid were eager to bring back their academy graduate before the start of the Club World Cup, but Benfica have been firm on financial terms. As a result, the defender will feature for the Lisbon club in the upcoming tournament.

❌ In the upcoming match, Manu Silva and Alexander Bah will be sidelined due to ACL injuries. Tomas Araujo is also in the medical room, though the nature of his injury remains undisclosed.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos from Mexico. This season, he has officiated 23 matches in the Mexican national league, averaging 4.04 yellow cards and 22.7 fouls per game.

This season, Boca Juniors have a clear edge in yellow cards, averaging 2.7 compared to 1.7 for their opponents. Meanwhile, Benfica's opponents receive an average of 2.4 cautions. However, bookmakers offer similar odds for both sides in this aspect. In such a scenario, a smart bet would be on Boca Juniors not losing in terms of yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Benfica have missed out on trophies this season, so they are likely to take this tournament seriously. The "Eagles" have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven away matches. This upcoming game can also be considered an away fixture for both teams. Therefore, betting on Benfica to score over 1.5 goals seems quite favorable.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Matches involving Benfica average 10.1 corners. Boca Juniors have an even lower average of 8.9. In 10 of their last 11 matches, the Argentine side did not see more than 10 corners. Thus, we suggest betting on total corners under 10.5.

In the Club World Cup, European teams are almost always the favorites in each match, and this upcoming clash is no exception. However, Boca Juniors have managed not to lose by more than one goal in 15 of their last 16 matches. With that in mind, a potential scoreline of 2-1 is on the cards.

There's little doubt that Benfica will find the net. Nonetheless, Boca Juniors haven't come to the tournament just to make up the numbers. With a new manager at the helm, they often experience an emotional boost. The Eagles concede just under a goal per game on average this season, but keeping a clean sheet on American soil will be challenging, especially with a larger contingent of Boca Juniors' fans expected to be present. Therefore, we suggest the bet – both teams to score (yes).