Auckland City FC: The dream of amateur football realizes!

Auckland City FC: The dream of amateur football realizes!

The New Zealand record champion Auckland City FC is facing an exciting challenge: participation in the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the USA from 2025. Auckland City FC is not only the first club of New Zealand, which takes part in this prestigious tournament, but also keeps the record for most participation, for the twelfth time.

The history of the club goes back to the 1960s when it was founded as a Central United FC. In its current form, Auckland City was launched in 2004 and has since established itself as a dominant force in New Zealand football, with ten titles in the league and 13 successes in the OFC Champions League. Coach Paul Posa sees the upcoming club World Cup as a great honor and chance to compete against strong opponents like Bayern Munich, Benfica Lisbon and Boca Juniors. This is not only an opportunity for the club, but also to represent all of New Zealand and Oceania.

financial aspects and challenges

FIFA's financial support is limited for Auckland City FC. The club only receives about three million dollars, while the European teams are estimated between $ 12 and $ 35 million. A large part of these income must also be paid to the New Zealand Football Association. It should be emphasized that the club players work in a semi -professional environment. Striker Angus Kilkolly even has to take unpaid vacation to take part in the club World Cup, as he also works as a sales manager. The attacks on the respective salary show how strongly the amateur status in New Zealand football stands out in contrast to the European -dominated leagues.

FIFA will distribute prize money of up to 115 million euros during the tournament, a total of one billion US dollars to all 32 participating teams. The distribution takes place according to a defined key, with the finalists receiving $ 30 million and the winner. A victory in the group phase brings $ 2 million, which increases the importance of every game.

The change in the club world championship

The redesigned FIFA Club World Championship In 2025 will take place with 32 teams, which are divided into eight groups of four teams each, followed by a knockout phase. This new format aims to ensure a greater representation of different associations, which is of great importance for Auckland City FC and New Zealand football.

In the last edition in the existing format, which took place in Saudi Arabia in 2023, the tournament was carried out according to the traditional knockout system, which underlines the importance of adjustments in the new format. So far, the club World Cup has been of interest, especially for European clubs, which makes the challenges for non-European clubs like Auckland City FC even greater. Nevertheless, the club is a symbol of amateur football, in which the focus is on love for the game.

Overall, the upcoming participation of Auckland City FC in the club World Championship shows that large dreams can also come true in amateur football and that passionate commitment can enable sporting lines.