Club Atlético Boca Juniors known also as Boca Juniors or simply Boca, is a popular Argentine sports club, best known for its football team. Its home base is the neighbourhood of La Boca, in Buenos Aires, and it hosts its home games at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera).
Boca have won a South American record 17 international titles, second only to AC Milan after losing in the Fifa club world cup final in 2007. Their haul includes six Copa Libertadores and three World Club crowns (Copa Intercontinental) and one Copa Oro and Supercopa Masters. The club has also won 22 Argentine professional championships.
The club is a permanent fixture in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics Club World Ranking top 30 and has reached the top position of the monthly ranking 6 times (mostly during coach Carlos Bianchi’s tenure).
Foundation
On 3 April 1905, five Italian immigrants gathered in the Plaza Solís, located in the heart of the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Esteban Baglietto, Alfredo Scarpatti, Santiago Sana, and brothers Juan and Teodoro Farenga founded Boca Juniors, the use of English language in team names was commonplace, as British railroad workers had originally introduced football into Argentina.
Boca Juniors played in local leagues and the amateur second division until being promoted to the first division in 1913, when the division was expanded from six teams to 15. Boca were never relegated; they won six amateur championships (1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, and 1930). With the introduction of professionalism in Argentina, Boca won the first title in 1931.
Records
- Boca Juniors held the world record 17 official international titles, until they lost the most recent 2007 FIFA Club World Cup against Milan who now hold 18 titles.
- Boca Juniors have the most official titles in Argentine football, both in the professional era, with 40 titles (46 including amateur titles).
- Boca Juniors were awarded the title “Campeón de Honor” (Honour Champion) in 1925, due to a highly successful tour through Europe in which the club played Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad, as well as German and French teams, with an impressive record of 15 wins, one draw and three defeats. This title was declared official by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino, thereby increasing the total number of official titles to 47.
- 40 consecutive Primera División matches unbeaten – an Argentine record: from 5 May 1998 to 2 June 1999, with 29 victories and 11 draws.
- Three times winner of the Intercontinental Cup (now replaced by FIFA Club World Cup), a record tied with São Paulo, Peñarol, Nacional, Milan and Real Madrid.
