Overview
- Referee Cesar Arturo Ramos drew gasps at Hard Rock Stadium when he flashed an unknown item from his pocket while showing Jorge Figal a red card.
- Boca Juniors raced into a 2-0 lead through Miguel Merential and Rodrigo Battaglia before Benfica rallied with goals from Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi.
- The heated encounter produced three dismissals, including cards for Ander Herrera and Andrea Belotti alongside Figal’s red.
- Chelsea kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over LAFC, featuring a goal from Pedro Neto.
- CR Flamengo matched that result by defeating Espérance 2-0 to join Chelsea on three opening points.