Boca Juniors vs AZ Alkmaar: Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2023 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, key players

Boca Juniors meet AZ Alkmaar at Estadio Alberto J. Armando 'La Bombonera', Buenos Aires, on Saturday 9 September in the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2023.

Where to watch Boca Juniors vs AZ Alkmaar on TV and streaming

The match will be streamed live on UEFA.tv in: 

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom

UEFA.tv is UEFA’s OTT platform, free to view behind registration. The platform is available on PlayStation (PS4 and PS5), Hisense VIDAA Smart TVs, Android and iOS (mobile and tablet), Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV as well as on web (www.uefa.tv).

The Under-20 Intercontinental Cup match will also be available in the following territories via UEFA’s broadcast partners:

Belgium: Proximus
Czech Republic: AMC Networks (Sport 1)
Greece: COSMOTE TV
Georgia: Silknet
Hungary: AMC Networks (Sport 1)
Netherlands: Ziggo Sport, ESPN
United Kingdom: TNT Sports

What do you need to know?

One of a number of events launched as part of UEFA's co-operation with CONMEBOL, this is the second U-20 Intercontinental Cup. Last year Benfica, winners of the 2021/22 UEFA Youth League, won 1-0 against Uruguay's Peñarol, who triumphed in the 2022 Copa Libertadores Sub-20 at the famous Estádio Centenario in Montevideo in front of 40,579 fans.

This time another big crowd is set to cheer on Boca Juniors – winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores Sub-20 in Chile in July – as they meet AZ Alkmaar, UEFA Youth League victors in Geneva in April. Both teams triumphed in those competitions for the first time this year, though Boca Juniors have collected many senior international titles, not least a joint-record three triumphs in the old European-South American Cup.

Boca dethroned Libertadores Sub-20 holders Peñarol in the semi-finals before beating Ecuador's Independiente del Valle, who also were runners-up in 2022, with two goals from Ignacio Rodríguez.

Other players that particularly impressed in Chile were ball-playing centre-back Lautaro Di Lollo and midfielders Nahuel Génez and Mauricio Benítez, whose three finals goals included the thunderous winner against Peñarol. All three have been in senior squads. Génez has even made a senior league debut but all will get a taste of that atmosphere in front of what is sure to be a fervent crowd at La Bombonera, perhaps even eclipsing the size of the one that passionately backed Peñarol last year.

The AZ players got a feel for the local atmosphere on Friday when they were in the crowd across the city at River Plate's Monumental stadium to see Argentina beat Ecuador 1-0 in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying with a Lionel Messi free-kick.

AZ, though, are not easily intimidated; they showed their mettle as they won 5-0 against Hajduk Split in the UEFA Youth League final in Geneva, when almost all of the crowd of just under 10,000 were supporting their opponents.

That competed an incredible run for only the second team to clinch the trophy via the domestic champions route, AZ having scored 12 goals without reply in their knockout defeats of Eintracht Frankfurt, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Among those who starred was forward Mexx Meerdink. Magnificent in the run to the final tournament, he missed the semi-final, having scored a winning UEFA Europa Conference League penalty for AZ's senior side against Anderlecht the previous night. He then played in the Eredivisie on the Sunday and went off injured, but the following day was in Geneva to come off the bench and score twice, taking his competition tally to nine, the joint highest total of the season.

Defender Wouter Goes was also on the bench for that game against Anderlecht but was captain against Sporting CP in Geneva the next afternoon, scoring in a shoot-out success. He has recovered from injury to make this match, having set that as a target when ruled out.

Other players who shone in the UEFA Youth League finals included forward Ernest Poku, winger Jayden Addai and goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro. Coach Jan Sierksma has since been promoted to lead Jong AZ in the Dutch second tier but is in Buenos Aires with his old charges.

Walter Goes, AZ defender: "I heard there are crazy fans, but I don't think it will scare me. I'd rather play in front of 30,000 people than ten."

Jayden Addai, AZ forward: "This is most beautiful match I will play."

Is there extra time?

This one-off fixture will be played over 90 minutes. There is no extra time, so if the tie is level at the end of regulation time then it goes straight to penalties. Each team is permitted to use five of their 11 substitutes.