Hard Rock Stadium felt more like Buenos Aires than Miami as Boca Juniors fans turned a neutral ground into a South American cauldron, but their electric energy wasn’t enough to stop Benfica from clawing back a wild 2-2 draw in a heated Club World Cup opener.
From the moment the whistle blew, Boca fans made themselves heard and felt. Thousands of supporters flooded the stands behind one goal, transforming the 200 and 300 levels into a sea of yellow and blue, complete with flags, drums, and a relentless chorus of “Dale Bo, Dale Bo.”
The buildup had been just as fervent. A day before the match, Miami Beach was awash in Boca banners, chants, and celebrations, with entire families from newborns to elders donning club colours. Their presence in the city was so overwhelming, it felt as though La Bombonera had moved 4,400 miles west.
On the pitch, that intensity carried over. Miguel Merentiel opened the scoring in the 21st minute, slipping one past Anatoliy Trubin as Boca’s end erupted, fans tossing drinks in the air, hugging strangers, and singing in thunderous unison. Rodrigo Battaglia doubled the lead and the South Americans looked to be in full control.
But the passion that lifted Boca also became their undoing. Benfica responded with a composed penalty from Ángel Di María after a rash challenge in the box, and the atmosphere turned tense. Red cards soon followed, first for Boca’s Ander Herrera from the bench, then for Benfica’s Andrea Belotti.
When Nicolás Otamendi ironically, a die-hard River Plate fan headed in the equaliser, the Boca faithful fell silent. The same name they had booed during the pre-match announcements had just broken their hearts.
Jorge Figal’s late dismissal left both sides with 10 men, and as tempers flared, the game lost all semblance of structure. In the end, a 2-2 draw was all that separated two sides with no shortage of drama or fire.
This was just the opening act of the expanded Club World Cup. If this match was any indicator, we’re in for a tournament dripping with emotion and spectacle.
