When and where?

This Tuesday, Group C of the 2025 Club World Cup will be decided with two key matches. The first: Boca Juniors vs Auckland City, kicking off at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be officiated by Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg.

Boca’s situation

Boca Juniors are hanging by a thread: they sit third in the group with just 1 point, and they must win to keep their round of 16 hopes alive. Miguel Ángel Russo’s side started with a 2-2 draw against Benfica and then fell 2-1 to Bayern Munich, putting them in this do-or-die position.

The key? Goal difference. Benfica have the edge, so Boca need to win big — a margin of four goals or more would send them through. That’s the plan: go all out against a team that’s already conceded 16 goals in the tournament.

Auckland City’s perspective

For the Navy Blues, this is their farewell game. After losing 10-0 to Bayern and 6-0 to Benfica, they’re already eliminated.

But this is their final chance to showcase themselves. Remember, Auckland City is the tournament’s only semi-professional team. Its players have jobs outside of football, and a strong performance here could open the door to opportunities at the professional level.

What’s next?

The qualifiers from Group C will face teams from Group D. If Boca pull off the miracle and advance, they’ll face Flamengo, who have already secured the top spot in their group.