Edinson Cavani bluntly chose the moment he most regretted about 2025 at Boca: the missed goal against Alianza Limain La Bombonera, the night that sealed Xeneize’s early exit from the Copa Libertadores and left a deep mark on the spirit of the team and its people.
“The goal I couldn’t score to get into the cup… I remember that goal. I’ve analyzed it a thousand times. It would have given us a chance to survive“, confessed Cavani in dialogue with DSports Verano, in an intimate conversation with Sergio Goycochea and Sol Rivas. It was not a passing sentence. It was the synthesis of a season that was permeated Injuries, interruptions and constant demand which becomes even more difficult at 38 years old.
The piece went viral and was a symbol of a twisted year. Cavani explained exactly what happened in this action, which remained frozen in the collective memory of the Boca fan. “I have to hit the near post first, play with the defender, collide with him and fall, turn around and get up quickly. So many times, tired, with little oxygen, falling down, getting up and turning around to find a position and kick, you get dizzy. And.” I threw it out of instinct, out of inertia from being close to the target.” he said, without excuses or drama.
The effect was enormous. Boca were eliminated in the second preliminary round of the Libertadores, which represents a painful historical fact: that was the case For the first time in 59 years, Alianza Lima left an Argentine team out of the competition. For Cavani, the group’s emotional leader and captain, the blow was double.
“That’s it. You leave it behind because it happens.” Football continues and you have to be there next Sunday“He added, with the mixture of self-criticism and temperament that characterized him throughout his career. But the year gave no rest.”
In 2025, Cavani played 24 official games out of a total of 44 Boca games. The Repeated and treacherous muscle injuries affected his continuity and its performance. Overall, he converted just five goals and two assists. The numbers are well below expectations, but they don’t fully explain his influence in the locker room.
Cavani himself reflected on the weight of criticism and the role of social networks. “Nowadays they constantly update the news. And today we are already adults and you notice things, when they go well and when they go wrong. I am not the type of person who looks at social networks to support my work or to realize things. I am aware of it, I have lived for football since the beginning of my career, I am very attentive, I think and analyze myself a lot. You know, and at some point they will punish you, and sometimes they won’t. That’s part of the show. When football.” It used to be a show, now it’s much more. We often express excessive opinions without considering that we are human. I try not to let the networks make me dizzy. If there are positive comments, you are a phenomenon; If not, you seem useless. “I use it to be close to people,” he explained, marking a clear boundary between public presence and his emotional life.
Even in a difficult year, there were moments that maintained his bond with the people of Boca, like the decisive goal against Tigre a drought of more than five months in La Bombonera. Sparks hierarchy amidst an irregular path.
Far from talking about retirementCavani decided to look forward. From Punta del Este, he left a clear message to fans on DIRECTV streaming: “2026 will be a great year and we will do everything we can to achieve it“. He also spoke about his role as a reference in a young team, about the “old school” that formed him and about the need to adapt without giving up on the essential: “Whether you wanted it or not, you did it on the basis of belonging and belonging to groups with experience, with people who were more rustic, to give you information, advice or a message.” Times have changed and people are trying to adapt. Therefore, it is more difficult for me to be on the same wavelength with a young person when you have a large age difference and an older education.”
“Ideals must be preserved. Also the essence“said Cavani. A sentence that functions as a statement of principle and perhaps a promise.
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