Benfica romped to a 6-0 victory over Auckland City in the Club World Cup, with Angel Di Maria putting on a show for fans in the US.
The Argentine opened the scoring just before half-time after winning and converting a penalty, giving the hosts a deserved lead following a wave of pressure.
Auckland’s goalkeeper Nathan Garrow was kept busy throughout, producing a string of saves in the first half to keep the scoreline respectable.
The match was delayed for well over an hour due to heavy rainfall, eventually resuming and finishing after Chelsea’s loss to Flamengo, which kicked off two hours after.
The floodgates opened after the break. Vangelis Pavlidis doubled Benfica’s advantage in the 53rd minute with a cool finish, before Renato Sanches made it three from outside the box ten minutes later.
Vitória em Orlando! 🦅#SLBACFC • #FIFACWC • #TakeItToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/lq2EGUhJOz
— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) June 20, 2025
A quickfire brace from Leandro Barreiro pushed the score to 5-0, as Benfica’s attacking depth proved too much for the New Zealand champions.
Di Maria capped off his stellar night with another penalty in stoppage time after being fouled by Nikko Boxall, wrapping up a commanding performance from Roger Schmidt’s side.
