Ander Herrera’s debut at the Club World Cup has not been the desired one for the one who was a player of the Real Zaragoza. In Boca Juniors’ first game in the tournament against Benfica, the midfielder had to be replaced by a new muscle injury and already on the bench he was expelled by the collegiate from the meeting.
Despite coming from a long inactivity product of his last tear, coach Xenieze, Miguel Ángel Russo, chose to get Herrera in the starting eleven. And at 20 minutes, between faces of impotence and disbelief, the midfielder was injured from the field to sit on the Argentine bench. Already without the Spanish, Boca managed to advance 2-0 on the scoreboard.
They had to grab 😯
The reason why Ander Herrera was expelled #Fifacwc@Fifacwc | All free games in https://t.co/ywcwbevpop #Takeittotheworld pic.twitter.com/ga7t4wclr0
– Dazn Soccer (@daznfutbol) June 16, 2025
At the end of the break, the collegiate of the match, called by the VAR, went to the monitor to see a possible penalty in favor of Benfica. Moment in which Ander Herrera lost the papers and protested the referee intensely while he was watching the play on the VAR screen. A situation that caused the expulsion of the midfielder and the first goal of the Portuguese team from eleven meters.
Already in the second part without the Spanish, the central of Benfica Nicolás Otamendi managed to tie the duel in the final minutes to leave the 2-2 on the scoreboard. In addition to Herrera, the player of the Portuguese team Belotti and Figal of the Argentine Club ended up expelled in a clash marked by intensity.
Fourth muscle injury and only nine games played
With the new grievance, Ander Herrera accumulates four muscle injuries in six months that has been wearing the elastic of Boca Juniors. The midfielder has only been able to play nine games since his signing for the Xeineze Club, without contributing even in any goal.
Without knowing the scope of the new ailment of the former player of the PSG, Athletic or Real Zaragoza, the only thing that is certain is that Ander will not be able to be in the next meeting of Boca in the Club World Cup before the Bayern Munich where he will fulfill sanction after being expelled in front of Benfica.
