Auckland City return to the global stage as one of the ultimate underdogs at this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, facing European giants Bayern Munich and Benfica, as well as South American powerhouse Boca Juniors. With a rich history of domestic and continental dominance but limited global success, can New Zealand’s most decorated club rewrite the script?
1) Who will Auckland City face at the Club World Cup?
Auckland City have been drawn into Group C and these are their group stage fixtures:
15 June: vs Bayern Munich. TQL Stadium, Cincinnati.
20 June: vs Benfica. Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando.
24 June: vs Boca Juniors. Geodis Park, Nashville.
2) New Zealand's most successful club
Since being founded in 2004, Auckland City have dominated New Zealand domestic football, winning 16 league titles, including 11 of the last 12. Last December, they defeated Birkenhead United 2-1 in the Grand Final, thanks to Angus Kilkolly's extra time winner.
3) Dominance of Oceania
The Navy Blues' domination of silverware also extends to continental competition too. They are 13-times OFC Champions League winners, crowned champions of Oceania in 11 of the last 13 seasons, including all four since the competition returned following Covid-19.
They've never lost an OFC Champions League Final, maintaining that record by defeating Hekari United of Papua New Guinea 2-0 in the most-recent final in April; Myer Bevan the scorer of both goals.
4) Past Club World Cup expirence
This success means no club has participated in more FIFA Club World Cups than Auckland City, with this set to be their 12th participation since debuting in 2006.
Well, on nine occasions, they have been dumped out in the first round, their only knockout victories in this tournament coming against Shabab Al Ahli in 2009 and then Moghreb Tetuán on penalties and ES Sétif in 2014, reaching the semi-finals that year, where they were ultimately eliminated by San Lorenzo in Marrakesh.
Since, they've suffered six successive defeats in FIFA competitions, most-recently demolished 6-2 by Al Ain in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup last September, their biggest-ever defeat in a global tournament. Their clashes with Bayern Munich and Benfica this summer will be the first time the Navy Blues have ever taken on European opposition.
5) Auckland: A unique footballing city
As of this season, there is now a new team in town. Auckland FC have joined Australia's A-League as an expansion club, and they've made quite the impact during their debut campaign. The Black Knights finished top of the A-League table, thereby crowned the division's Premiers, before being dumped out by Melbourne Victory in the semi-finals of the play-offs. Off the field too, the new club averaged over 18,000 supporters at their matches, which is the highest average attendance of any club in the A-League.
So, Auckland as a city now has two clubs playing in two different leagues in two different confederations with Auckland City, back in New Zealand, despite their success, averaging around 400 spectators, leaving them very much in the shadow of their newly-formed neighbours.
6) Auckland City players to watch: Myer Bevan
Striker Myer Bevan is a rare New Zealand international in this squad, albeit the most-recent of his six caps came seven years ago. After a stint with Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, with whom he won the golden boot, he returned for a third spell at his home town club last year.
To date, Bevan has scored 34 goals in 45 appearances for the Navy Blues, notably on target against Al Ain in last year's Intercontinental Cup, set to be amongst their most-likely scorers this summer too.
7) Auckland City players to watch: Angus Kilkolly
If it's Auckland City goalscorers you're after, Angus Kilkolly might just be your man. Since joining the club in 2021, he has scored 65 goals in 122 appearances, making him the club's third-highest scorer of all-time, behind only current teammate Ryan De Vries (89) and legend Emiliano Tade (138). He is an artist on and off the field, given that Kilkolly is also a project manager for a painting company.
8) Manager Paul Posa: back for more
Paul Posa was re-appointed Auckland City manager in January. He was previously in charge of the Navy Blues between 2008 and 2010, and boast a 65% win rate across both spells.
9) Lowly global ranking
According to Opta's the Analyst, Auckland City are the 4,937th strongest team in the world.
That is obviously very abstract so, for some context, that's just below Brackley Town, who won the National League North, part of England's sixth-tier this season, while they're over 100 places lower than Seacoast United Phantoms, the current champions of USL League Two, which is the fourth division in the United States. If this doesn't underline their minnow status, we don't know what will!
10) Underlining Auckland City's underdogs status
The Navy Blues face Bayern Munich in their Club World Cup opener in Cincinnati, before taking on Benfica in Orlando and Boca Juniors in Nashville.
According to bookmakers, of all 32 competing clubs, Auckland City are by far the least-likely to get out of the group. In fact, they believe it to be significantly more likely that Inter Miami will reach the final than the Kiwis get through to the last 16.
So, to describe this team as underdogs would be an understatement, and they could be on the wrong end of some pretty emphatic scorelines, particularly in that opener against Bayern Munich.