"It is a privilege to be here"

João Veloso, Benfica midfielder, assured in the preview of the match against Auckland City, on matchday 2 of Group C of the 2025 Club World Cup, that the athletes are "focused on playing a good game."

What are your expectations for this game against Auckland City?

Our perspective is the same as it has been since we started the World Cup. We want to win game by game, and tomorrow [Friday] is the game against Auckland. We have to win the 3 points, we want to do our best.

The game is against a team that is, in theory, more modest. Do you, the youth players, also hope to get a few minutes of playing time in a tournament of this magnitude?

For us young players in the academy, just being here is a privilege. Benfica is a huge club, we're enjoying ourselves immensely, things are going well, and tomorrow [Friday] it's up to the coach to decide.

We just heard the Auckland City coach say that the worst thing that could have happened was Boca Juniors and Benfica drawing, because the group could be decided by the number of goals scored and conceded. Tomorrow [Friday], as well as winning, will it be necessary to score a lot of goals?

We are focused on playing well and, above all, on winning the game.