“Focused on victory”: the players' reactions

Benfica thrashed Auckland City 6-0 in their Group C match in round 2 of the Club World Cup. The players were delighted with the resounding result and are already looking ahead to their next game.

At the end of the match, Di María, Barreiro, António Silva, João Rego, and Schjelderup spoke to the media, emphasizing the fairness of the victory and the impressive result, and looking ahead to what comes next. Next Tuesday, at the end of the group stage, Bayern Munich awaits in Charlotte...

DI MARÍA

"The important thing was to win the game"

"[Man of the Match for FIFA] The important thing was to win the game. The prize is wonderful, but the important thing is the group, the team, winning. After the game against Boca Juniors, I said that we had two important games, this one and the one against Bayern, and that the important thing was to win the six points and go through to the round of 16, which is what we want.  [Support from fans] Benfica fans are all over the world, wherever we play they are always there, and we are very grateful for that. In my five years at Benfica, it has always been the same, and it's something incredible."

BARREIRO

"At full strength against Bayern"

"[Match analysis] I'm not very good at post-match analysis... I'm tired, it was very intense today, the first half was a bit complicated, we only scored one goal, but we were confident. Then, with the break at halftime, with the heat... The important thing was that we won the game, we played well, we were calm in possession of the ball. [Match against Bayern] On Tuesday [June 24] we will face a very strong opponent, so we need to rest well now to recover and go into the next game at full strength."

ANTÓNIO SILVA

"Ee are going into the game to win"

"[The game and the interruption] We knew we had to score some goals to make our situation in the group easier. We started the game a little too eager to score lots of goals, and I think that hurt us a bit in the first half. Then we had that long break, which I don't think was beneficial because it breaks up the rhythm of the game a bit. But above all, we managed to prepare well for the second half and scored five goals. [Get points against Bayern?] Of course, why not? We are Benfica, so naturally we are going into the game to win."

JOÃO REGO

"We work every day to the maximum"

"[Special to have minutes on your birthday] I was prepared for the game, regardless of it being my birthday. I was focused on the game and ended up getting some playing time. I think I played well. [Were Bruno Lage's compliments special?] Of course, it's always nice to hear praise from our coach. I listened, retained the necessary information, and was ready to play.[Ready for more prominence in 2025/26?] The other players and I always try to play a leading role. We work hard every day to achieve this, and I am ready. [Desired outcome?] We were focused on winning, we knew that scoring goals was important, and we ended up scoring them. [Coach's words after the break] He told us to calm down, to be more effective, that we were doing well in the game, and it worked. We ended up scoring a lot of goals."

SCHJELDERUP

"Giving our all to qualify"

"[Game interruption time] Of course, it was a strange half-time break because of the weather, we spent two hours in the dressing room, but at the end of the day, we got a good result and the three points. That was very important. [Close to the goal?] We have to wait and see, we can only focus on ourselves... We still have a game against Bayern, and we need to do our best to get through to the next round. We can only concentrate on ourselves. [Is it possible to beat Bayern?] Of course, they are a top team with incredible players, but it's not impossible. We have to give it our all. [High temperatures] For me, as a Norwegian, it's perhaps a little more difficult than for the others, but we've been here for a long time now, and I think everyone has adapted very well to the heat. However, these are not the best conditions for playing football. [Expectations for the upcoming season]. I hope to give my best for the club and the fans."