Bayern opponent 

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There are 32 teams in the FIFA Club World Cup, and among them, Auckland City FC from New Zealand, and the discrepancy between them and their group-stage opponents in terms of squad value couldn’t be larger. Following the market value update of New Zealand’s “amateur”  National League – North Auckland City FC have a total squad value of €4.58m.

Transfermarkt updated the market values of New Zealand’s first division on June 11. For the 2024 New Zealand Champions and the 2024/25 OFC Champions League winners, it has been an upgrade with its share of ups and downs. “They are actually having a bit of a down year after losing some players to the new A-League team in Auckland,” Caleb Wilkins, a football writer based in New Zealand, who contributes regularly to The Third Sub and Target Scouting, said. 

Often confused with Auckland FC, who play in Australia’s A-League and, therefore, in the Asian Football Confederation, Auckland City FC qualified for the Club World Cup through the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). While Australian clubs play against Asia’s crème de la crème clubs, Auckland City have dominated the Pacific region, winning the OFC Champions League four years in a row. 

Auckland City – The Dinamo Zagreb of OFC football

“They’re sort of like the Dinamo Zagreb or Olympiacos of New Zealand,” Wilkins said. “They win the national league, which qualifies them for the OFC Champions League, they win that by beating up on a bunch of teams from the Pacific Islands, which qualifies them for the Club World Cup, which gives them way more money than everyone else. Rinse and repeat.” Technically speaking, Auckland City are an amateur side. But a report by New Zealand online magazine Stuff has questioned the amateur status of several clubs competing in the National League. “Of course, they are still a lot more amateur/semi-pro than every other team taking part in the current Club World Cup,” Wilkins said.

Auckland City will also not be able to keep all the $3.58m the club will receive from FIFA to participate at the tournament. According to a report by Die Süddeutsche Zeitung, New Zealand Football, will retain all but NZ$ 300,000 ($180,000) and spread it among the other clubs playing in the country. The mechanism is in place to maintain the financial balance in domestic football. The club likes the idea, but the money is currently not enough to finance the entire trip to the United States and a mediator is currently negotiating between both sides. 

Despite the dispute, Auckland City have traveled to the States to compete in the Club World Cup. And the challenge awaiting them will be significant. After all, the financial gaps between Auckland City FC and their group stage opponents in terms of squad value are staggering. When Auckland City FC takes the field against Bayern Munich on Sunday at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, the difference in squad value will be almost €900m. The discrepancy isn’t much better against the other teams in Group C. Portugal’s Benfica has a squad value of €363.5m, and Argentina’s Boca Junior have a squad value of €86.43m. 

Auckland City: Who are the players to watch?

That doesn’t mean you should write of Auckland City. A regular participant at the previous iteration of the FIFA Club World Cup, the New Zealand side has had some success in the past. In 2014/15, they beat Morocco’s Moghreb Tétouan (3-4 on pens), and Algeria’s ES Sétif (0-1) before being stopped by Argentina’s San Lorenzo (2-1 AET) in the semifinals. Then in the third-place final, Auckland City FC beat Liga MX’s side Cruz Azul (3-5 on pens). It remains to this day the club’s biggest success on the international stage. 

So, what can we expect from Auckland City? “Obviously, back home in New Zealand, we’re used to having a lot of the ball, a lot of possession, being on the front foot,” said club captain Mario Ilich to Reuters. “Coming up against these better teams, we have to adapt, we’re learning every day, but I think today was a good step in the right direction for what’s to come.” Ilich is also one of the players to watch. The defensive midfielder is the backbone of the team having scored 12 goals and five assists in 142 games across all competitions for the club. 

Another player to watch is Myer Bevan. The New Zealand international was developed by Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps and has played professionally in Sweden for Husqvarna FF, the USL Championship for Fresno FC, in South Africa for TS Galaxy FC and Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League. Bevan has scored nine goals and four assists in 16 games across all competitions this season.