On November 20, 2022, the biggest soccer game in South America took place: the final of the Libertadores Cup, between the Argentine teams River Plate and Boca Juniors. But what made this match memorable was not only the game itself, but the memes that flooded social media during and after the match.
Table of Contents
The Background
The rivalry between River Plate and Boca Juniors is one of the most intense in the world of soccer. Both teams are based in Buenos Aires, and their matches, known as the Superclásico, are always highly anticipated and emotionally charged. The two teams have faced each other more than 250 times, with Boca Juniors having a slight edge in victories.
The 2022 Libertadores Cup final was the first time the two teams had met in the final of the competition since 2018, when the match had to be postponed twice due to violence and was eventually played in Madrid, Spain. This time, the match was held in the Monumental stadium, River Plate’s home ground, and tensions were high both on and off the field.
The Memes Begin
As soon as the match started, social media platforms were flooded with memes. Some were funny, some were cruel, and some were just plain weird. One of the most popular memes was a photoshopped image of Boca Juniors’ coach, Miguel Ángel Russo, wearing a River Plate scarf. This was a reference to the fact that Russo had previously coached River Plate, Boca Juniors’ biggest rival.
Another popular meme was a video of a fan of River Plate, crying tears of joy as his team scored a goal. The video was shared with captions such as “me when I finally finish my thesis” and “me when I get a job offer after months of unemployment”.
The Match
The match itself was a tense and hard-fought affair. Boca Juniors took the lead in the first half, but River Plate equalized just before half-time. In the second half, both teams had chances to score, but it was River Plate who eventually got the winner, thanks to a goal from striker Matías Suárez. The final score was 2-1 to River Plate.
The Aftermath
After the match, the memes continued to flow. Some were celebrating River Plate’s victory, while others were mocking Boca Juniors’ defeat. One particularly popular meme was a video of a man dancing to the song “La Bamba”, with the words “Boca Juniors fans trying to find their way home” superimposed over the top.
However, not everyone was happy with the memes. Some Boca Juniors fans felt that they were being unfairly targeted and bullied online. “It’s not fair,” said one fan. “We lost the match, that’s bad enough. We don’t need people making fun of us on the internet as well.”
The Legacy
Despite the controversy, the memes that emerged from the River Plate vs. Boca Juniors Libertadores final of 2022 will go down in history as some of the funniest and most creative soccer memes of all time. They captured the passion and intensity of the Superclásico rivalry, and provided a much-needed moment of levity in a world that can often feel dark and overwhelming.
Responses and Comments
“I loved the memes, they were hilarious. It was great to see people having fun and being creative.” – Maria, River Plate fan.
“I thought some of the memes were really mean-spirited. It’s one thing to celebrate your team’s victory, but it’s another thing to attack your opponents like that.” – Juan, Boca Juniors fan.
“I’m not really into soccer, but even I was laughing at some of the memes. They were really clever and well-done.” – Sofia, neutral observer.
