The year 2025 will be marked as one of the most difficult and controversial in the recent history of Boca Juniors. The year began with an irregular performance in the Apertura under the management of Fernando Gago, although the team remained in the fight for the top spot in its zone. La Bombonera once again became an implacable thermometer, alternating between support and reproach, reflecting a fan base that does not compromise on ambition.
In the Copa Argentina, Boca failed to find solace and was eliminated once again in the early round, the Round of 16, against Atlético Tucumán. This match reawakened old ghosts: difficulties in matches against lower-ranked opponents, low intensity, and a lack of reaction on both a footballing and emotional level.
The main hope for the season was the first-ever Club World Cup, held in a format similar to the FIFA World Cup. Boca hired Miguel Ángel Russo, a legendary figure for his successful past at the club. Despite knowing the chances were slim, with two European teams in the group, the motto was "Boca fears no fight," and so it was. Russo changed Boca's face, and in his first two matches against Benfica and Bayern Munich, he deployed a style that thrilled both fans and neutrals. The elimination, however, not only had a sporting impact but also an institutional and economic one, becoming one of the major stains of the current cycle.
With no titles, early exits, multiple coaching changes, and a deepening football crisis, "Xeneize" went through a season marked by sporting instability and growing questioning of the project led by Juan Román Riquelme and the Football Council. The only bright spot of the year was qualifying for the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
