The story of an amateur football team, with soft drink vendors, drivers, land brokers... competing at the FIFA Club World Cup

TPO - Auckland City FC is certainly the most special team at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. As the sole representative of Oceania, they are an amateur team, made up of part-time players who have to do many different jobs to make a living.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is described by FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a world-class sporting event that will bring together the world's best clubs. However, the billion-dollar football tournament is mixed in with an amateur club from far-flung Oceania.

They are Auckland City FC. Winners of the Oceania Champions League last year (13 times to date), the Navy Blues have secured the continent's sole spot at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

There, Auckland City FC are in Group C, along with 34-time German champions Bayern, Portugal's most traditional club Benfica and Argentine football icon Boca Juniors.

The Navy Blues instantly became a Hollywood-style story, as the little David challenged the giants Goliath. Not only did they come from an underrated football background, but their players all played amateur football.

Auckland City FC have won the Oceania Champions League 13 times.

According to captain Mario Ilich, they have no inferiority complex about being an amateur team. On the contrary, they all play with "a strong love for football" and "try to compete at the highest level while holding down two or three jobs to make ends meet".

Ilich, who works as a salesman for a soft drink company, wakes up at 5am every day. Since the club doesn’t have a training complex, Ilich goes to a local gym and then arrives at the store at 8am to start his workday. He finishes work at 5pm and spends two hours practicing with a ball on a random patch of grass before returning home at 9am.

Auckland City FC train four evenings a week, and play matches on Saturday mornings. The New Zealand Championship has a rather complex format, with three regional divisions (North - Central - South) selecting 10 teams to play a round-robin, with the top two teams playing in the final to decide the champion.

Auckland City FC during a Northern League match at the Kiwitea Street stand.

Ilich’s team is in the Northern League. General manager Gordon Watson said that, with no staff, volunteers will come to the field before each game and set up goals, nets and flags. “The grass will be cut if it reaches a certain length, and it will be done on Thursday if the guy who cuts the grass remembers to do it,” he said.

Auckland City FC's home ground, Kiwitea Street, has a modest stand that holds just 3,500 spectators. However, it is rarely filled, with matches averaging between 800 and 1,200 spectators. However, Auckland City FC will not be alone at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. According to Watson, a group of 40 to 50 people will be in the US cheering on the players.

Auckland City FC are also taking the tournament very seriously, arriving in the US two weeks before their opening match against Bayern. On the day of departure, many family and friends came to see Ilich and his teammates off.

Captain Mario Ilich works as a soft drink seller in addition to his passion for football.

"On one hand, we feel excited to start this wonderful journey. But on the other hand, there is also a bit of sadness to leave our loved ones. In the end, what remains is pride because we are where we deserve to be," said fitness coach Adria Casals.

As for their upcoming opponents, Casals hopes his players will go out there fearless and be themselves at all times. Auckland City FC have been to the previous edition of the Club World Cup. The Navy Blues finished third in 2014 in Morocco, beating Mexico's Cruz Azul 4-2 on penalties. This will certainly give them a confidence boost.

Vice-captain Adam Mitchell looks to New Zealand for inspiration at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "I was a kid then, but the memories of the three draws are still vivid," he said. "Now representing the country at the FIFA Club World Cup, we try to do the same."

Mitchell also had a dream of becoming a professional footballer. He started his career at Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) and then wandered to Slovenia and the lower leagues of England. Unable to develop further, he eventually returned home, partly because his real estate brokerage job brought in a decent income. For a while, he joined Auckland City FC because he could work and continue his unfinished football dream. Now, participating in a major tournament, a World Cup at the club level, really exceeded expectations.

Goalkeeper Conor Tracey currently works as a warehouseman at a veterinary pharmaceutical company.

"I'll never forget it," goalkeeper Conor Tracey recalled of the players and management sitting together at 6am to watch the FIFA Club World Cup draw. "When each team was announced, our jaws just dropped. Every team had a history and a reputation, which made playing them a dream match."

Tracey works as a loader at a veterinary pharmaceutical company. In addition to driving a forklift, he also has to carry heavy loads. “This job requires a lot of physical strength, so it takes a big toll on my body. I am more prone to injuries than other goalkeepers who just eat and train, and don’t have enough time to recover.

There have been times when I thought about quitting football, like many of my teammates have done over the years. Football is a passion, but we are too busy to support our families. However, the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup becomes a motivation, also a goal worth our efforts," he shared.

Auckland City FC are in Group C with Bayern, Benfica and Boca Juniors.

For an amateur team like Auckland City FC, participating in the tournament is a chance to change your life. Just for participating, they will receive $3.58 million. In addition, each group stage win is worth $2 million, and a draw is worth $1 million.

The problem is that Auckland City FC do not get the full amount. There have been talks between them and the New Zealand Football Federation about how to distribute it, but since last year there has been no result.

As for the players, they try to stay away from money disputes to focus on the matches. As captain Ilich said, "we are just amateurs who play football for passion".

"Regardless of the millions of dollars our opponents earn, we still fight with all our might based on solidarity and collective strength. On the pitch, there are only 11 players against 11 players, so anything can happen. Auckland City FC will do what we have always done: dream big," he declared with great pride.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chuyen-ve-doi-bong-nghiep-du-voi-nhung-nguoi-ban-nuoc-ngot-tai-xe-co-dat-chinh-chien-tai-fifa-club-world-cup-post1751037.tpo