Boca Juniors saw their Club World Cup journey come to an abrupt end following a 1-1 draw with Auckland City on Tuesday in steamy Nashville, Tennessee, a match that endured a nearly 50-minute suspension due to severe weather.
Needing a convincing victory to overcome a seven-goal deficit behind Benfica, and hoping the Portuguese side would lose to Bayern Munich in the other Group C match, Boca fell short on both counts.
Benfica’s narrow 1-0 win over the German champions ensured their passage to the last 16 alongside Bayern, while Boca were left stranded in third place.
Boca opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Lautaro Di Lollo met a precise corner with a powerful header that hit the post and ricocheted off Auckland goalkeeper Nathan Garrow’s arm into the net, ruled an own goal.
Shortly after the break, Auckland City responded with their first goal of the tournament, as Christian Gray nodded in a well-placed header past Boca’s Agustin Marchesin to equalize in the 52nd minute.
Moments later, lightning in the vicinity forced players off the pitch, halting the game.
When action resumed, Boca appeared to regain the lead through Miguel Merentiel, but VAR intervened, disallowing the goal due to a handball by Kevin Zenon during the buildup.
The draw left Boca with just two points from three games, one ahead of bottom-placed Auckland City, who exited the tournament with their heads held high.
The result marked a proud moment for the 13-time OFC Champions League winners, the tournament’s only amateur side.
Several players had to take time off their regular jobs to compete in the U.S., and holding the South American giants to a draw sparked jubilant scenes among the squad.
Their earlier heavy losses—10-0 to Bayern Munich and 6-0 to Benfica—made Tuesday’s result all the more meaningful.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in attendance as temperatures soared to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5°C) at kickoff.
