Club World Cup Team Betting Predictions: Auckland City

No team at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup arrives with more entries in the competition’s history than Auckland City, but that is about where their pedigree ends. Other than an against-all-odds third-place finish in 2014, the New Zealand side have endured an annual struggle and are rank outsiders in this month’s tournament.

Below are my Auckland City Fifa Club World Cup 2025 predictions, including an assessment of their squad and chances of winning the competition.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Boca Juniors, Auckland City

Fixtures: Bayern Munich vs Auckland City (17:00 BST, June 15), Benfica vs Auckland City (17:00 BST, June 20), Auckland City v Boca Juniors (20:00 BST, June 24)

Player to watch: Dylan Manickum

Oceania’s sole representatives, Auckland City’s relationship with this competition is one of near-omnipresence. As the dominant team in their confederation over the past 20 years, the Navy Blues are making their 12th appearance in the Club World Cup.

However, they could be regarded as the poster boys for the ‘ugly duckling’ nature of the previous tournament format, with a record of just three wins, two draws and 12 defeats in the competition despite their Argentine side San Lorenzo being the most globally-recognisable club they’ve come up against in that time.

That clash with San Lorenzo came during the best 10-day period in the club’s history as they finished third in 2014 and narrowly missed out on booking a final against Real Madrid.

Having drawn 0-0 with Morocco’s Moghreb Tetouan in Rabat and advanced on penalties, they reached the semi-final thanks to former Everton youth John Irving’s sole strike against ES Setif of Algeria.

In the last four in Marrakesh they pushed the Argentine champions to extra-time before succumbing 2-1, then beat Cruz Azul in the third-place play-off after a 1-1 draw.

Club World Cup 2025 Odds

But over the next few weeks, City are likely to receive the rudest of awakenings against three sides the likes of which they have simply never faced in competitive action.

Coming up against Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C, Paul Posa’s side will probably consider a point gained at any stage over their three games as a massive success.

The odds to win the group say it all, with Betfred having Bayern at 1/2, Benfica 10/3 and Boca 4 /1. Auckland City, meanwhile, are 100/1.

Player to watch: Dylan Manickum

The Auckland City number 10 is New Zealand’s national team captain and most-capped player… in futsal.

The lively forward has also put the close control harnessed in the hardcourt variation of football to great use on the way to the Club World Cup, securing the Player of the Tournament accolade as City won a 13th OFC Champions League title earlier this year.

Manickum struck in the group games against AS Pirae and Tiga Sport on the way to that triumph, and while Myer Bevan scored both goals in the final against Hekari United, it was Manickum who rightly got the main plaudits.

Whether the 32-year-old will get the supply line or the space to run at defenders over the three grop games in the same way he does in the OFC is debatable, but if the Navy Blues are to make a name for themselves he is sure to have some say.

Fifa Club World Cup: Bet £10 or more on a team to win the 2025 Club World Cup and receive £2 in Free Bets for each game your team wins in 90 minutes to use on Football Bet Builders.

Football Odds

Prediction: To lose all three games

Auckland City's main aim has to be simply to not be embarrassed.

Some will fear that they could replicate Tahiti’s 2013 Confederations Cup return of three defeats at an aggregate of 24-1, including a 10-0 reverse to Spain, but that doesn’t account for the character the squad will no doubt be looking to exhibit.

That price of 33/1 to get out of the group says it all at an implied 2.9% probability, and if the likes of Manickum and South Africa-born New Zealand international Ryan De Vries can chip in with the odd goal, that might be reward enough.

They may well look to target the clashes with Benfica and Boca for any outside hope of points, as the opener against Bayern is set to prove more a test of durability in defence. Anything other than a heavy loss in Cincinnati, and they may have an outside shot of upsetting the applecart.

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