Latest news with #AucklandCity
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Big teams and bigger surprises - recap of group stage
AP Photo As the 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup moves towards the Round of 16, the competition's facelift has provided multiple storylines. From the number of teams participating to a newly designed trophy, more venues and even a referee cam, the competition in the United States has gone closer to its namesake - the quadrennial World Cup. The organisers have called it "a celebration of hope, excellence and pride, embodying the journey of every club, player and fan united in their passion for the beautiful game." With several new debutants and the tournament now being a month-long event, the competition has changed in stature. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Now, teams from all six confederations - 12 teams from Europe, 6 from South America, 4 from Africa, 4 from Asia, 4 from North, Central America and Caribbean, 1 from Oceania, and 1 team from the host nation complete the 2025 line-up. With the group stage done and dusted and just 16 teams left in the running, it is fair to say that this edition of the Club World Cup has had its fair share of upsets, David vs Goliath matchups and some heated moments, literally and figuratively. Auckland City hold their ground in a historic result Ranked 4,971st in the Opta Power Rankings, Auckland City went in as the lowest ranked side in the Club World Cup. They were grouped alongside Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Emergency Generators in Pakigne: (Prices May Surprise You) Emergency Generator | Search Ads Search Now Undo To put things into context, Auckland City are made up of amateurs, play in the Northern League in New Zealand, comprising just 12 teams. Auckland suffered a brutal 0-10 loss against Bayern Munich to start with - the biggest defeat in this year's tournament - which was followed by a 0-6 thumping from Benfica. Already eliminated and with nothing to lose, Auckland faced Argentinian giants Boca Juniors in their last game. In what can only be described as a David-Goliath matchup, the underdogs denied Boca a spot in the Round of 16, who were in need of a win to progress. A difference of 4,819 ranking points and Boca's historical success made the 1-1 draw all the more sweet for the amateurs. Messi and Miami power through to the Round of 16 Grouped alongside giants Porto, Al Ahly and Palmeiras, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were expected to be swept aside. Instead, the Argentine No 10, supported by Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, powered through to the Round of 16, after finishing second in Group A. While the Herons could only pick up one win, it was enough to qualify. After a stalemate against Al Ahly in the tournament opener, Miami were up against Portuguese giants Porto. In what seemed like a difficult task for Miami, Messi's timeless brilliance, exemplified by a stunning free kick, earned them a 2-1 win. Miami drew their final game 2-2 against Brazil's Palmeiras, and confirmed their berth in the last 16. A 'heated' Club World Cup Tensions boiled over on the final matchday in Group E, where River Plate needed a win to make it to the last 16. Inter, however, denied them that pleasure. At the full-time whistle, River's Marcos Acuna and Inter's Denzel Dumfries nearly came to blows, needing an entire team and support staff to intervene. The feud, which first began three years ago, saw Argentina's Acuna show Netherlands' Dumfries the 2022 World Cup trophy logo on his shin guard. At the tournament, Argentina had beaten Netherlands in a heated quarter-final which finished on penalties. Heated moments weren't restricted to the players, as heatwaves and extreme temperatures saw teams give their players ice baths and cold towels. Borussia Dortmund went a step further, making their substitutes watch the game against Mamelodi Sundowns from the locker room and not from the bench to protect them from the blistering heat. Their coach likened the playing conditions to that of a 'sauna'. Thunderstorms and lightning also resulted in at least five games being delayed. But it isn't just ice packs, but ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) who have been a presence at the tournament, making it the first to do so. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will also be a part of the tournament's setup, with non-citizens needing proof of legal status to attend games. Concerns for the upcoming World Cup? With less than a year to go for the 2026 FIFA World Cup , set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, its precursor has revealed several issues. From pitch quality, to heat and weather in general, the tournament hasn't been a smooth one to say the least. Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham called out the poor pitch conditions, saying "The pitches aren't great here. The pitches aren't great at all," said the 21-year-old after his side's match against Pachuca at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. 'New' tournament, same old favourites Besides the underdog stories, major upsets and more teams, the tournament still remains a hunting ground for Europe's best. Giants like Real Madrid and Manchester City still remain favourites to win the prize. Five teams from the eight groups - Seattle Sounders, Urawa Reds, Ulsan, Wydad AC and Pachuca - were eliminated without a single point. List of qualified teams for Round of 16 Group A: Palmeiras, Inter Miami Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Botafogo Group C: Bayern Munich, Benfica Group D: Flamengo, Chelsea Group E: Inter Milan, Monterrey Group F: Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense Group G: Manchester City, Juventus Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
In The End, Auckland City's FIFA Club World Cup Involvement Came Good
Christian Gray (left) produced one of the moments of the tournament so far. Back home in New Zealand, Christian Gray will soon be sharing something special with his students. They may even already know. As he and his Auckland City teammates approached their final Group C encounter with Boca Juniors at FIFA's Club World Cup in the United States on Tuesday, they would have feared the worst. Already eliminated from the tournament, Auckland, a semi-professional team, had let in 10 (ten) goals against Bayern Munich and six against Benfica. Meanwhile, Boca's hopes of qualification from the group hung in the balance; it required a Bayern victory in the other game and a goal rush, a possibility against the underdog, whose players work full-time jobs or study outside of soccer. As it happened, neither transpired. Not only that, Auckland produced one of the shocks of the competition—a highlight from a group stage that has seen Botofogo defeat Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo upend Chelsea. Trailing in the second half, a corner arrived, and trainee teacher Gray nodded in a precious goal, which ultimately earned a point against a giant of South American soccer, one that has lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy six times and previously boasted the talents of legendary Diego Maradona. Despite Boca knowing elimination loomed large, it was impressive. Standing Proud Auckland City's players' market values are in the thousands of dollars, far adrift of the million-dollar mark—this in a tournament where the finest soccer talents are worth around nine figures in the transfer market. Their professions range from sales representatives to community coaches, and Auckland's winnings of roughly €4 million ($4.5 million) from the Club World Cup—peanuts to elite clubs—is a fortune for an entity and federation not used to dealing in such sums. Auckland's ratio of goals conceded to goals scored was 17:1 in the United States. The side qualified for the event as a top performer in its region. Had professional outfits from Australia been competing in the OFC Champions League—for clubs from Oceania—rather than with Asia's finest in the AFC Champions League, one of them might have made the Club World Cup in Auckland's place. 'Oceania's club football is deeply rooted in local communities, similar to Europe, although most clubs remain amateur,' the Auckland City general manager, Gordon Watson, told me before the U.S. adventure. 'We recognise the challenges, particularly around resources, but our key strength lies in our people.' FIFA's transformed competition is now heating up. The knockout stages see an all-Brazilian contest between Botofogo and Palmeiras, European matchups Benfica versus Chelsea and Real Madrid against Juventus, Flamengo's samba flair against Bayern Munich's precision, and Inter Miami's Lionel Messi facing ex-employer Paris Saint-Germain. Inter Milan vs. Fluminense, Manchester City vs. Al-Hilal, and Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey complete an intriguing set. Meanwhile, Auckland City, not to be confused with Auckland FC, is switching focus to games in the country's more modest regional leagues. It's a name that, for all its local identity, has taken on all comers around the globe and achieved a third-place finish at the Club World Cup in 2014. Now, after exiting the latest installment with the memory of a famous goal and result, which its outfield players could barely believe, it can consider the experience a success. FIFA's controversial Club World Cup is a work in progress. At least Auckland City's ride ended well.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The future of New Zealand football and an ambitious plan to host the World Cup
The New Zealand team Auckland City began the Club World Cup as the tournament's fall guys, losing 10-0 against the German champions Bayern Munich, but by the end of the group stage, the semi-professional outfit earned respect by holding Boca Juniors to a draw. They did so with their 20-year-old goalkeeper Nathan Garrow, who is a full-time student back home in New Zealand, and their goalscorer Christian Gray, a trainee teacher who said his 'assignments are piling up' in his day job. Advertisement 'It was a fantastic result and testimony to Auckland City's resilience,' Andrew Pragnell, the chief executive of New Zealand's football federation, tells The Athletic. 'We are enormously proud. We've got students, teachers, all sorts of people doing jobs back here in New Zealand playing against a South American powerhouse. It's what we love about football. It can be a great leveller. 'It has been reported as a huge headline across New Zealand. Everyone was across the Bayern result. It would have been easy to have your morale dashed but it did the opposite to this team. They turned around and got tougher. This is a Kiwi trait. When times are tough, we dig deep. 'Bayern are a multi-billion dollar club and we know the value of those players, so some people would say 10-0 was the expected result but no one would have predicted the draw for an 'amateur' team against Boca Juniors. The team can hold their heads high representing the country. I'd hope that the keeper is on the scouting list for a few player agents who watched him in the last couple of games — he is a young lad and showed plenty of potential.' While the Auckland City story turned heads, they do not offer a complete picture of the progress being made within football in New Zealand — or the broader ambitions for the nation over the coming decades. In sport, New Zealand is most famous for the rugby union All Blacks while they also ranked 11th in the overall medals table (including 10 gold medals) at the Paris Olympics last summer, with golds across canoeing, cycling, rowing, athletics, golf and rugby sevens. Football, however, is now the biggest participation sport in the country. In figures reported by the New Zealand Herald, rugby in New Zealand had 155,568 registered players in 2024 but football is up to over 170,000, factoring in those who also play futsal. Advertisement Pragnell says the challenge is to sustain that growth by ensuring there are a sufficient numbers of volunteers, coaches and facilities to meet the demand. Locally, Pragnell says parents have noted the physical impact of rugby on the body, with ever more education about the threat of concussion, while football's accessibility also helps. 'There's also the impact of the global game,' he continues. 'When I was a kid, you got little clips of the Premier League, almost in black and white, but you couldn't follow the game. These days, kids get everything on social media. These clubs have huge marketing budgets and appeal, and we see some of our young kids putting on football tops rather than All Blacks tops.' There is collaboration with the All Blacks, including exchanges with coaches and performance experts. 'They have done great things in terms of environment and standards, and the reason they've been world champions is because they're able to instil a powerful culture, so there are shared learnings.' In 2023, New Zealand co-hosted the Women's World Cup with Australia and 42,137 fans watched New Zealand defeat Norway in their opening match at Eden Park, while similar numbers turned out to watch the US. women's national team play Vietnam and Portugal in the group stages. Crowds of over 43,000 attended games held at Eden Park in the round of 16, the quarter-final and the semi-final. The men's team has already qualified for the World Cup in 2026, meaning a third appearance at a men's World Cup for a nation of just over five million people. They are yet to win a game at the competition but in 2010, they drew all three matches of the group stages — meaning they were the only unbeaten team at the tournament — but they did not qualify for the knockout stages. Their most famous name is 33-year-old forward Chris Wood, who hit 20 Premier League goals for Nottingham Forest last season, and Forest have two other New Zealand national team players on their books in Marko Stamenic and Tylwr Bindon, who spent 2024-25 loaned out to Olympiacos and Reading respsectively. Others are now playing in Italy, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and in MLS. Advertisement Signs of progress were underlined by this month's friendly win over Ivory Coast, the reigning AFCON champions, while they also drew with the USMNT last year. New Zealand are ranked 86th in the world by FIFA, between Bulgaria and Angola, while the women are ranked 33rd, between Argentina and Serbia. Pragnell has also registered New Zealand's interest in being a co-host for the men's World Cup in 2038. The locations for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups are already locked in, and FIFA's unusual choices for those two tournaments has opened the door. Under FIFA's confederation rotation principle, two tournaments need to pass by before a single confederation is able to host a World Cup again. In 2030, three confederations are hosting the World Cup because FIFA has split the tournament between South America, Africa and Europe, playing games in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Then, in 2034, the Asian confederation has the tournament in Saudi Arabia. This rules out those four confederations, which leaves only Concacaf and Oceania as potential destinations for 2038. Unless FIFA alter their policies, New Zealand would not be able to partner with Australia, because the Australian federation is part of the Asian confederation, which is why Pragnell is open to partnering with the United States in a trans-pacific tournament that, hypothetically, could also involve Hawaii and Fiji if stadium plans come to fruition by then. Prganell says New Zealand have the stadium capacity to host some group games and early knockout games – meaning partnership is key. 'You could argue we could partner with anyone based on the 2030 model,' he says. 'But geographically, New Zealand looks two ways frequently in economic discussions — either as part of Asia or part of the wider Asia-Pacific region, so you look across to the west coast of the Americas.' He added: 'Everyone wants something different. The idea may be that we're gonna look at this ocean, the Pacific, and that we could host it across that. The Paris Olympics (in 2024) held the surfing in Tahiti, right? People want different things. They are looking for a different experience and the idea of holding this across the ocean (appeals).' As for the club game, Auckland City are unlikely to be seen again at the Club World Cup because Oceania is changing its formula for teams to qualify for the next edition. They qualified for this tournament because they have won the past four Oceania Champions League trophies but the best teams in New Zealand do not play in that tournament. Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC (a different team to Auckland City) are professional sides who compete in the Australian A-League, but the Australian teams fall under the Asian confederation. Advertisement Oceania's new system will see the launch of the Oceania Pro League in 2026 and both Wellington and Auckland FC — but not Auckland City — have registered their interest in competing in the competition. Pragnell says: 'Auckland City have opted to not pursue that, so they're not currently in the mix. Oceania Football are going through the assessment phase and they're due to make a decision around September this year as to how many clubs from each country and region will be represented. It will ensure there's a professional competition for the whole region beyond the A-League and whoever's competing in that will then be competing in future editions of the Club World Cup. 'Oceania have put it out there that they're interested in having an Australian club in this Pro League, as it might open up some commercial interest in the league, bu t what they have been very clear about is that an Australian Club could not use the Pro League as a pathway to the Club World Cup. Those spots available for future Club World Cups are reserved for Oceania teams.' Auckland FC are owned by the billionaire Bill Foley, who also owns Premier League club AFC Bournemouth, French Ligue 1 side Lorient and Scottish Premier League team Hibernian. In the U.S., he is best known as the man who had the idea to launch a NHL team — the Vegas Golden Knights — in the Nevada desert. Auckland FC, founded only in 2024, averaged just over 18,000 per game in their first season: higher than any other team in the A-League. Their ownership, which partnered with Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan as well as former All Black Ali Williams, AllBirds footwear billionaire Tim Brown and ex-NBA centre Steven Adams, makes it likely that we will see them sooner rather than later at a Club World Cup. Elsewhere in the capital, Auckland City FC players return home, back into their day jobs after requesting annual leave to fulfil their semi-professional obligations as footballers. According to Opta Sports power rankings, they are the 4,715th best team in the world and Boca Juniors are ranked 131st, underlining the achievement. Auckland FC are ranked 740th, which highlights how we saw the best of New Zealand spirit but not necessarily quality during this tournament. Within the Club World Cup, the next-lowest ranked team after Auckland City are Al-Ain of the UAE, and they are 637th. Auckland City earned $3.58m USD for their participation in the tournament, in addition to a $1m bonus from FIFA for the draw against Boca. Just under $1m of this is immediately taken out by the costs of the competition, as FIFA cover lodging but not travel or pre-tournament camps. Pragnell also points out that tax may be pretty hefty, with obligations in both New Zealand and the United States accounting for around 35 per cent of the earnings, while there may be some individual taxes to consider too. Advertisement There has been some tensions over the earnings but what remains is likely to be divided between players, coaches, local community projects and the federation to redistribute towards the development of football in New Zealand. The nation will be hoping the best is yet to come.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Club World Cup star going back to day job as a PE teacher after scoring goal that netted amateur side $1MILLION
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Club World Cup star who scored a $1million goal is heading back to his day job as a PE teacher. Christian Gray, 28, left his school behind to appear for part-time Auckland City in the United States alongside delivery drivers, forklift operators and a Coca-Cola salesman. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Christian Gray earned Auckland City $1m in prize money with his goal at the Club World Cup Credit: AP 3 After scoring past Boca Juniors, he will return to life as a PE teacher back home Credit: Getty But several members of the amateur squad missed out on playing against some of the world's biggest clubs - because they did not have enough annual leave. Gray was an unused sub in the 10-0 hammering by Bayern Munich then came off the bench in the 6-0 defeat to Benfica. But he earned himself a starting spot in Auckland's third and final group game against South American giants Boca Juniors, who had Edinson Cavani up front. And with his side trailing 1-0 at half-time, Gray headed in from a corner to score a dramatic equaliser. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL THAT'S WRIGHT Madelene Wright puts on busty display in lacy lingerie that wows fans WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN Despite Boca's 40 shots, Gray and Auckland held on for an unlikely but famous draw in Nashville, earning the New Zealanders $1m (£727,000) in Fifa prize money. Now the centre-back must head back home and crack on with marking his students' papers during the school holidays. Player-of-the-match Gray said: "I'm a PE teacher. "When I get home, I've got a few assignments that have piled up over the last month so that's what I'll be going back to and the school holidays thankfully. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "I'm from a small town, a long way from here and a lot different to this environment. So it is somewhat of a dream so I'm a little bit lost for words. "We'll be going back to our day jobs, that's the reality for us." Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries chased off the pitch as huge brawl breaks out after fiery Club World Cup clash But he will have some stories to tell his pupils when he returns to Auckland Grammar School from his Club World Cup American adventure, capped off in perfect style. Gray added: "I don't love the spotlight. I'll leave that to the other boys, but, yes, a lot of emotions. "It's been a tough trip. We've had some tough results, but I'm just happy for the team and the boys. I think we deserve it. 'We've got a little bit of respect." Boca failed to advance to the knockout stages as Benfica topped Group C and will play Chelsea in the last 16. Bayern had to settle for second and will take on Flamengo - with the winners facing Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Miami.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Club World Cup star going back to day job as a PE teacher after scoring goal that netted amateur side $1MILLION
THE Club World Cup star who scored a $1million goal is heading back to his day job as a PE teacher. Christian Gray, 28, left his school behind to appear for part-time Auckland City in the United States alongside delivery drivers, forklift operators and a Coca-Cola salesman. 3 But several members of the amateur squad missed out on playing against some of the world's biggest clubs - because they did not have enough annual leave. Gray was an unused sub in the 10-0 hammering by Bayern Munich then came off the bench in the 6-0 defeat to Benfica. But he earned himself a starting spot in Auckland's third and final group game against South American giants Boca Juniors, who had Edinson Cavani up front. And with his side trailing 1-0 at half-time, Gray headed in from a corner to score a dramatic equaliser. Despite Boca's 40 shots, Gray and Auckland held on for an unlikely but famous draw in Nashville, earning the New Zealanders $1m (£727,000) in Fifa prize money. Now the centre-back must head back home and crack on with marking his students' papers during the school holidays. Player-of-the-match Gray said: "I'm a PE teacher. "When I get home, I've got a few assignments that have piled up over the last month so that's what I'll be going back to and the school holidays thankfully. "I'm from a small town, a long way from here and a lot different to this environment. So it is somewhat of a dream so I'm a little bit lost for words. "We'll be going back to our day jobs, that's the reality for us." Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries chased off the pitch as huge brawl breaks out after fiery Club World Cup clash But he will have some stories to tell his pupils when he returns to Auckland Grammar School from his Club World Cup American adventure, capped off in perfect style. Gray added: "I don't love the spotlight. I'll leave that to the other boys, but, yes, a lot of emotions. "It's been a tough trip. We've had some tough results, but I'm just happy for the team and the boys. I think we deserve it. 'We've got a little bit of respect." Boca failed to advance to the knockout stages as Benfica topped Group C and will play Chelsea in the last 16. Bayern had to settle for second and will take on Flamengo - with the winners facing Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Miami. 3
