Cavani and the last 54 minutes

Semi-professional team's memorable moment at FIFA Club World Cup In the early morning of June 25, Auckland held Boca Juniors to a 1-1 draw in the final match of Group C, FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

Edinson Cavani once longed to end his career on a stage worthy of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. A solemn ending, in the colors of Boca Juniors, where he could make more of his mark after brilliant years at Napoli, PSG and the Uruguay national team.

But all that remained was… 54 minutes of silence amid the Nashville storm. An unfinished game. An unfinished dream. And a 1-1 draw. A result that sent Boca Juniors out of the tournament in disappointment.

Cavani missed the first two games due to injury, and the match against Auckland City proved to be his only chance - and his last - in the tournament.

Coach Miguel Angel Russo assigned Cavani as a center forward, and he was Boca's hope to salvage their honor. But instead of exploding, people saw Cavani lost in the middle of a semi-professional defense from New Zealand - players who worked during the day and played football at night.

Boca had no one to get the ball to Cavani properly. He moved constantly, trying to create space, and fired a beautiful but inaccurate hook. Another control in the box was promptly cleared by an Auckland defender. Boca's attack was stuck, and Cavani was like a hunter in the desert - knowing where the prey was, but never reaching it.

As the match entered the 54th minute, a sudden storm came. Heavy rain and lightning interrupted everything. While the spectators waited for the match to continue, the result from another match was confirmed: Benfica beat Bayern Munich 1-0, which meant Boca were officially eliminated. A cruel outcome decided not by a shot, but by… the weather and results elsewhere.

In that context, Russo was not willing to take any chances. Cavani - 38 years old, no longer a weapon - was substituted before the restart. No applause, no cheers. He left the pitch as if he had never been there. A hero stepped into the light - only to return in silence.

Cavani was helpless against the Auckland City defense.

After the match, Cavani maintained his usual composure. “A draw is not a bad result,” he said. “They defended very tightly – at times there were 10 men within 16.5 metres. We tried to press, but we couldn’t break through that defence.”

He also highlighted the discipline and fighting spirit of Auckland City - a semi-professional team that played like real warriors. "They didn't give up. They defended like it was their last game," Cavani said.

And then the former PSG star mentioned the weather: storms, temperatures up to 35.5°C, the match was interrupted for nearly 50 minutes - all of which exhausted his physical strength and made his mental state suffocating.

All that remained after the Nashville night was a name on the starting lineup, a missed tennis ball, and a distant look as he left the field in the storm. For Cavani, it was more than just a farewell to a tournament. It could have been a farewell to the highest stage.

No flares, no glittering stands. Just rain, thunder, and a long silence in the career of a striker once known as "the great predator".

Source: https://znews.vn/cavani-va-54-phut-cuoi-cung-post1563474.html