Benfica Gears Up for Boca Clash as Club World Cup Heats Up
Benfica faces Boca Juniors tonight in a Club World Cup thriller, with Pavlidis and Silva sharing insights with Kurdistan24. Inter Miami drew 0-0 with Al Ahly; Messi, Suárez, and Ustari spoke exclusively to Kurdistan24, vowing stronger performances ahead.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The excitement is mounting as the second day of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup brings heavyweight clashes to center stage. Tonight, all eyes will be on Boca Juniors and Benfica as they face off in a fiery group-stage encounter at Hard Rock Stadium, home of Inter Miami.
Vangelis Pavlidis, Benfica’s star striker and the man who tormented Barcelona with a hat-trick in last year’s Champions League, shared his anticipation with Kurdistan24 at the team’s pre-match press conference.
“My teammates and I know this is a tough and intense match. Boca is a strong and legendary club. I’m happy to see Di María playing for another great team. It’s a big opening game, especially playing Boca at a major venue like Hard Rock—it’ll be a spectacle,” Pavlidis said.
Acknowledging the level of competition, Pavlidis added: “We’ve landed in the toughest group.” He pointed to Bayern Munich’s dominant start and emphasized that Benfica is here to fight. “We’ll play with confidence and want to achieve something great in this tournament.”
Also speaking to Kurdistan24, António Silva addressed speculation about his teammate Álvaro Carreras, who has been linked to a move to Real Madrid. “Carreras is currently one of us and focused on our matches in this tournament,” he stated.
On the match itself, Silva added: “We know Boca is a strong team with a great history. They’ve produced great players who have played for Europe’s top clubs. It’s very important that we perform well in this game. This is football—anything can happen. All the teams in this group are strong: Benfica, Boca, and Bayern. Any result is possible.”
Tonight’s double-header also features Chelsea facing LA Galaxy at 10:00 PM, making for a jam-packed day of global football.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s opening match set the tone for what promises to be an unpredictable and thrilling Club World Cup. Inter Miami, led by global icon Lionel Messi, played out a goalless draw against Egypt’s Al Ahly in Group A. Despite a missed penalty by Mahmoud Hussein Trezeguet and intense pressure from the African champions, Inter Miami managed to hold on.
Luis Suárez, speaking exclusively to Kurdistan24 after the match, praised his teammate. “Although we didn’t win, I’m satisfied with this result. I think we needed it to improve. We just need to score in the next match. We want everyone to know why we’re here. We want to compete and win. We know this is a tough tournament, but now is the time to prove Inter Miami is a great team.”
On Messi, Suárez was full of praise: “Everyone knows who Messi is. Although we missed several chances in the second half and couldn’t secure the three points, they forced us to retreat. Their counterattacks were dangerous. But we promise to perform better in upcoming matches and impose more pressure on the opponent.”
The hero of the night, however, was veteran goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Returning to professional football after retiring in 2022, the 38-year-old delivered a masterclass performance with multiple saves, including a penalty.
“We came into the game aiming for three points, but it was tough. Still, our experience helped us not to give up. Even this single point feels like a victory for us. It also eases some of the pressure for our next game against Porto,” Ustari told Kurdistan24.
Other Inter Miami players echoed his sentiment. Telasco Segovia remarked, “We played well, but couldn’t score. We’ll be better in the next match and make up for the draw. Our goal is to advance in the tournament. Messi is a huge support for us—he always inspires us to fight bravely for success.”
Benjamin Cremaschi added, “Messi gave us the courage not to fear. He told us to move out of our box and go forward. He encouraged us to play bravely, to control the ball, and play like champions.”
Inter Miami will return to the pitch on June 19 at 10:00 PM (Erbil time) to face Porto in what is now a crucial match for their hopes of advancing. On the same day, Al Ahly will battle Brazilian side Palmeiras.
As the Club World Cup intensifies, the drama, dreams, and dazzling footwork are just getting started—and Kurdistan24 will be there every step of the way.
