Miguel Ángel Russo makes decisions for Boca Juniors' lineup for their 2025 Club World Cup debut: "We can't back down."

Miguel Ángel Russo always has a smile on his face . It's true that he walks slowly and a little sideways, but he already has the color of a Miami summer back in his face, like in the old days. Likewise, in the lobby of the Hyatt Las Olas Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, he's putting a sweatshirt over his shoulders. The change in temperature is a real letdown: outside it's 95 degrees, and in the hotel lobby, the air conditioning makes your skin crawl .

"I'm very calm, unlike journalists," he joked during an informal chat with a group of special correspondents, which Clarín was able to participate in. He's referring to the questions from Edinson Cavani , Ayrton Costa , Marco Pellegrino , Malcom Braida , and—above all— Leandro Paredes , which are coming at him like a machine gun. He has a word for each one; for each word, a thought. He speaks slowly, but with the patience of someone who knows the waters he's sailing in.

Russo knows that the challenge he took on at 69 years old isn't easy . Boca Juniors are coming off a tough sell in the first half of the season with their elimination from the Libertadores playoffs against Alianza Lima, the dismissal of Fernando Gago , and the defeat at La Bombonera against Independiente that also left them out of the Apertura Tournament. A ticket to the 2026 Copa del Rey is also far from guaranteed, and the Club World Cup will be an overly demanding test that could have cyclothymic consequences. If Boca advances beyond the round of 16, they shouldn't over-confidently believe they are. However, if they string together heavy defeats against Benfica and Bayern Munich (on June 16 and 20 in Miami), everything will be on the verge of collapse again.

"We have to find ways and choose the timing and moments of pressure. We're going to play against tough teams; we can't sit back . We have to know how to overcome setbacks and how to move forward, with what momentum. Our football is very competitive; in Portugal, there's Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, and Porto, but in Argentina, the last team can beat the first; that's the difference. There's no one who can score three goals against their opponent right away. It's constantly competitive," Russo analyzed, with five days of work still ahead of him before his team steps onto the Hard Rock Stadium turf.

In the afternoon, at the open training session he led at Barry University, Russo offered a few clues about what Boca's potential squad could look like to face Benfica. He spoke with Milton Giménez in the middle of the field and once again his smile lit up. The speculation is a classic 4-4-2 formation , with a double nine: Miguel Merentiel and Giménez .

“I'm talking a lot with him (about Edinson Cavani). It's better to have one more day than to lose him for 20. We have to take him from less to more because ultimately there are many things to discuss. Much more about the physical aspect and everything. It's important to develop mentally, despite the injuries and everything, to overcome them,” Miguel warned about the Uruguayan's situation, who once again worked in the gym while his players worked on the field due to a muscle problem.

Russo finishes his coffee in the hotel restaurant and bids a friendly farewell after making a live appearance on TV. "With Román? The football conversations I had with him were always silent. We always talked about football. That's what football is all about: communication. And the more silent it is, the better."