In the heart of Nashville, under a sky bruised with storm clouds, the FIFA Club World Cup clash between Auckland City and Boca Juniors came to a dramatic pause. The pitch at Geodis Park, alive with the pulse of football, fell silent in the 55th minute as torrential rain and the threat of lightning forced referee Glenn Nyberg to usher players off the field. The score stood at a tense 1-1, with Boca’s hopes of a six-goal rout to keep their tournament dreams alive teetering on the edge.
The match, a David-and-Goliath battle, saw Auckland City, the resilient underdogs from New Zealand, defy expectations. Despite their 16-goal concession in prior matches, they struck back with Jerson Lagos’ equaliser in the 52nd minute, nullifying an earlier own goal by goalkeeper Nathan Garrow. Boca Juniors, the Argentine giants, pressed with ferocity, their fans a roaring sea of blue and yellow, undeterred by the looming storm. Yet, nature proved the ultimate adversary, halting play as thunder rumbled over Tennessee.
This suspension marks the fifth weather-related interruption in the 2025 Club World Cup, a tournament plagued by storms. US safety protocols, mandating a 30-minute pause after lightning sightings, left players and fans in limbo, awaiting FIFA’s call on when the battle would resume. For Boca, every second counts—their path to the Round of 16 hangs on a delicate thread of goals and a Bayern Munich victory over Benfica. As the rain lashes Geodis Park, the question lingers: will the storm clear, or will it wash away Boca’s ambitions?