Benfica surprises Bayern: Boca Juniors, eliminated

The FIFA Club World Cup now has 9 of the 16 teams qualified for the round of 16 of the tournament being held in the United States. The last to advance to the next stage was Benfica, who on Tuesday surprised Bayern Munich (1-0) to take the top spot in Group C.

Bruno Lage's side took the lead in the 13th minute with a goal from Norwegian winger Andreas Schjelderup and managed to hold on to the narrow lead against a Bayern team that rested several starters, with qualification already secured.

The Bavarians reacted in the second half and managed to score the equalizer, but Joshua Kimmich's goal (he came on after halftime) was disallowed for a prior offside. In total, the Germans had 13 shots, but only 4 were on target, and saves from Anatoli Trubin kept a clean sheet.

Disappointing elimination for Argentina's Boca Juniors

With the victory, Benfica reached 7 points, one more than Bayern, and left Boca Juniors with no options. The Argentinians needed to crush Auckland of New Zealand by 6 or more goals, in addition to hoping for a defeat for the Portuguese team.

However, the Argentinians couldn't even overcome the worst team in the tournament, which bowed out of the World Cup with honors with a very respectable 1-1 draw. An own goal by goalkeeper Kyle Garrow put Boca ahead in the first half.

After halftime, defender Christian Gray scored the equalizer in the 52nd minute. Three minutes later, the match was suspended for more than half an hour due to a storm threat. When play resumed, the match between Benfica and Bayern had already finished, so Miguel Russo's side already knew they were eliminated.

Benfica and Bayern await opponents in the round of 16

Assuming that Flamengo and Chelsea are poised to finish first and second in Group D, it is most likely that the Brazilian team will be Bayern's opponent in the round of 16, while the 'Blues' would face Benfica.

In the evening's matches, the London team will face Espérance de Tunis, while 'Fla' plays against the weakest opponent in the group, Los Angeles FC. The American team has two losses so far, while the team from Rio de Janeiro has a perfect record.

For now, the confirmed round of 16 matchups are Inter Miami vs PSG and the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo. The 'Verdão' avoided the toughest opponent in the bracket (Paris) with two late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw against 'The Herons'.

Botafogo, for their part, finished second in Group B despite losing to Atlético (1-0). The 'Colchonero' side, along with Porto, have been the major disappointments of the tournament. Boca Juniors' performance was also surprising due to their low level, although on paper, Benfica and Bayern were clearly superior.

Related

Club World Cup: Atlético wastes Barça's quota

On Wednesday's matchday, in the early games, Group F will be decided, with Dortmund facing Korea's Ulsan and Fluminense against the tournament's surprise package, Mamelodi. The South Africans can pull off a major upset with a win, while Borussia only need a draw to qualify.

In the later games, River Plate and Inter Milan can seal their ticket to the round of 16 with a draw, as long as Monterrey does not overcome the tenacious Urawa from Japan. A draw of 2-2 or higher between the Argentinians and Italians will eliminate Monterrey, regardless of the margin of the Mexican team's victory.

• 👉 You can follow the detailed coverage of the 2025 Club World Cup on FCBN