Seven cards were brandished during Boca Juniors vs Benfica in the Club World Cup on Monday, and FIFA are set to land a healthy sum in fines from the bookings.
Boca Juniors vs Benfica is undoubtedly one of the standout fixtures of the FIFA Club World Cup thus far, with the pair playing out a 2-2 stalemate in an action-packed encounter at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The Argentine giants led after 21 minutes through Miguel Merentiel before doubling their advantage through Rodrigo Battaglia. As Águias didn’t back down though, with Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi grabbing the all-important goals.
There wasn’t only drama when it came to goals though, as the game was marred with countless bookings.
Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera was the first player to receive a booking. Having been taken off after 20 minutes through injury, the Spaniard was shown a straight red card for dissent while on the bench.
Carlos Palacios, Alvaro Carreras, Vangelis Pavlidis and Ayrton Costa all picked up yellow cards in the second period for time-wasting, fouls and dissent, respectively, while Andrea Belotti and Nicolas Figal were shown straight red cards too.
That equates to a total of seven cards, three straight reds and four yellows, and FIFA are set to land a healthy cash sum thanks to the fine system put in place ahead of this summer’s tournament in the United States.
FIFA Club World Cup Booking Fines
| Offence Type | Fine |
| Single Yellow Card | $12,000 (£8,900) |
| Double Yellow Card (Indirect Red Card) | $18,000 (£13,300) |
| Straight Red Card | $24,000 (£17,750) |
| Team Misconduct (Multiple Bookings) | $18,000 (£13,300) |
Note: Figures via GhanaWeb.
How Much Did FIFA Make From Bookings in Boca vs Benfica?
Due to match referee Cesar Ramos Palazuelos handing out a total of seven cards, FIFA will receive over $150,000 in fines.
Boca Juniors owe the governing body $24,000 (£17,750) for Palacios and Costa’s yellow cards and $48,000 (£35,550) for Herrera and Figal’s straight red cards. They also owe an additional $18,000 (£13,300) for team misconduct.
This is a total of $90,000 (£66,650) in fines for the Argentine Primera División outfit.
Benfica, meanwhile, picked up two yellow cards and one straight red card. Their two yellow cards mean that they owe FIFA $24,000 (£17,750), while Belotti’s sending-off will cost them $24,000 (£17,750).
Like Boca, they owe an additional $18,000 (£13,300) for team misconduct, having picked up several bookings.
The Primeira Liga runners-up will have to pay FIFA a total of $66,000 (£48,850) in fines.
In total, FIFA will receive $156,000 (£115,500) worth of fines from Boca Juniors and Benfica over their misconduct throughout their Club World Cup encounter, and with over 50 games still to play, that pot of cash is set to increase significantly.
Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side, who are one of two Premier League sides at the FIFA Club World Cup, kickstart their campaign on Wednesday against Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia.
Chelsea, meanwhile, kickstarted their tournament with a 2-0 win over LAFC on Monday. Despite the win, Blues boss Enzo Maresca was shocked by the attendance in their opener and said he expected a livelier atmosphere.
