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At the national team level, Argentina is dominating the world after winning the 2022 World Cup and Finalissima in the same year. They are also undoubtedly the number one team in South America with two consecutive Copa America titles (2021, 2024). However, at the club level, the tango country is falling behind. What happened at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup reaffirmed that.
River Plate and Boca Juniors, the two representatives of Argentina, come to this tournament not because they are continental champions, but thanks to their points in the CONMEBOL club rankings. Otherwise, the Copa Libertadores is dominated by Brazilian clubs, having won the last 6 seasons. That is why the samba country has 4 teams participating in the 2025 Club World Cup.
What is admirable is that all four Brazilian teams, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense, have advanced to the knockout stages. In contrast, River Plate and Boca Juniors, two of Argentina's most prestigious clubs, were humiliatingly eliminated.
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River Plate and Boca Juniors fans create color and excitement for the 2025 Club World Cup. |
It must be said that the presence of River Plate and Boca Juniors brought the atmosphere of excitement that the Club World Cup organizers expected. Their fans were truly amazing.
With the stands not being filled, the Argentinian fans created a buzz both inside and outside the stadium. Even when their team was in trouble, the noise never stopped. At the 0-0 draw with Monterey at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, more than 30,000 River Plate fans traveled more than 10,000 kilometers to cheer.
Sadly, that wonderful spectacle will be lost when River Plate and Boca Juniors leave the United States one after another. Diego Maradona's former club Azul y Oro were poor in all three games, including an embarrassing performance against amateur side Auckland City (1-1 draw).
Meanwhile, Los Millonarios, who were once played by Alfredo Di Stefano, Gonzalo Higuain, Ariel Ortega and Pablo Aimar, will be remembered as the dirtiest team in the league. Not for their magical moments on the pitch, but for their notoriety.
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The ugly image created by River Plate players in the loss to Inter. |
In the final match against Inter, instead of fighting hard for victory, River Plate players rushed to hunt for cards. Lucas Martinez paid the price with a red card in the 66th minute, and 6 minutes later, Inter took the lead. The score was then increased to 2-0 in injury time, just 2 minutes before River Plate responded with a red card for Gonzalo Montiel. After the final whistle, Marcos Acuna continued to chase Denzel Dumfries into the dressing room.
Statistics show that River Plate leads the league with an average of 18 fouls per game, also ranking first in yellow cards (9) and red cards (3). Boca Juniors are not far behind with 2 red cards, second only to their compatriots.
Now the pressure will be on Boca Juniors president Juan Roman Riquelme, who decided to re-appoint veteran coach Miguel Angel Russo as head coach on the eve of the tournament. As for River Plate, will they be better off with coach Marcelo Gallardo, especially after losing young talent Franco Mastantuono (to Real)?
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Edinson Cavani and Boca Juniors exited the tournament after a draw with Auckland City. |
On a broader level, the decline of the Argentine giants is a consequence of the country’s financial crisis. Poor revenues mean clubs are unable to offer good contracts to attract players, and have had to sell emerging talent early. The professionalisation of Argentine clubs has also been slow, leaving them behind in Brazil.
In the samba dominance of the Copa Libertadores over the past 6 seasons, there have been 4 finals that have been fought internally by Brazil. Looking back at the history of the tournament, Argentine clubs are the most successful, with four teams having 4 or more championships (Boca Juniors 6 and River Plate 4). No Brazilian club has more than 3 titles. But at this rate, the samba country will soon surpass them. And to find glory, Argentine clubs must be more determined in the Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the Europa League.
Not only in the continental arena, the commendable performances at the 2025 Club World Cup by Palmeiras, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense also showed that Brazilian football is getting closer to European level. As for Argentina, there is a long way to go.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/hai-ga-khong-lo-argentina-roi-club-world-cup-2025-va-ngich-ly-bong-da-xu-tango-post1754888.tpo
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