Who are Boca Juniors?

Boca Juniors will feature at the Club World Cup in the United States and here you can read some key facts and stats about the South American giants.

Where are Boca Juniors from?

Boca Juniors are an Argentinian team who play in La Boca, a neighbourhood within the capital, Buenos Aires.

History

The club was formed in 1905, with many of the founding members being Italian immigrants from Genoa.

The club's place in La Boca led to an early rivalry with River Plate, who moved away from the neighbourhood for a year in 1906 and then departed for good in 1923.

Boca entered Argentina's top division in 1913, going on to lift the first of 35 national titles in 1919.

The club’s 1925 tour of Europe was the first time an Argentinian side played abroad and their 15 wins from 19 matches against European opposition brought a huge increase in domestic support.

Boca are among the most successful sides in Argentinian football, having won South America’s top competition, the Copa Libertadores, on six occasions.

However, the club hasn’t lifted the trophy since 2007. They lost the 2023 final to Brazilian side Fluminense, while they were beaten by bitter rivals River Plate in 2018.

Their rivalry with River is among the most intense in world football, known as the ‘Superclasico’.

Clashes between the two sides have been fierce, with their Copa Libertadores meeting being shifted to Madrid following clashes between fans ahead of the second leg.

The pair have met a massive 265 times, with Boca holding a slight edge over their rivals with 91 victories over their rivals.

Nicknames

• Los Xeneizes (the Genoese)

• Blue and Gold

Notable Players

Current Players

There are several players in the current squad that fans of European football will recognise, with four former Manchester United players in the side.

The most well-known of those is Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who joined Boca in 2023 following a season at Valencia.

The former PSG forward has scored 14 league goals across 48 league games for Boca. He scored 20 times in 39 appearances across all competitions in 2024.

There's a strong spine of former Red Devils, with Sergio Romero in goal, Marcos Rojo at centre-half and Ander Herrera in midfield.

Rojo returned to his homeland in 2021, Romero followed in 2022, while Spaniard Herrera departed Athletic Bilbao for a second time when he arrived at Boca in January. 

Their top scorer this term is another Uruguayan forward, Miguel Merentiel. Their 19-year-old midfielder Milton Delgado is one to watch, following extensive links with Premier League sides.

Former Players

Diego Maradona joined Boca for a single season in 1981, leading them to the league title before making the jump to Barcelona in the aftermath of the 1982 World Cup.

After a short stint with Newell's Old Boys once he had returned from Europe, Maradona played the final two years of his career with Boca.

The club has an incredible list of former players, including Juan Roman Riquelme. He began his career with Boca in 1996, playing for six seasons before following in Maradona's footsteps with a move to Barcelona.

Riquelme found success with Villarreal in Europe, before returning to Boca in 2007.

He spent another seven years with the club, helping them to win the Copa Libertadores three times across his two spells and in 2023 Riquelme was elected president of the club via a vote of club members. 

Striker Martin Palermo is the top goalscorier in the club's history. He also spent two spells with the club, either side of a European career which saw him struggle at Villarreal, Real Betis and Alaves.

He scored 91 times in 124 games for Boca between 1997 and 2001, while he added 145 goals in 280 games between 2004 and 2011.

How did Boca Juniors qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup?

With Brazilian clubs winning the Copa Libertadores between 2021 and 2024, Boca Juniors qualified for the tournament as one of the best ranked CONMEBOL teams.

They secured their place in August 2024 as the side with the second-best record among eligible teams, behind rivals River Plate.

Boca Juniors Club World Cup group

• Boca Juniors

• Benfica

• Bayern Munich

• Auckland City