استمتع بـUnlimited مع Magzter GOLD
احصل على وصول غير محدود إلى أكثر من 9000 مجلة وصحيفة وقصة مميزة مقابل
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Auckland's Amateurs Take Unpaid Leave to Play
June 11, 2025
|The Straits Times
The revamped Club World Cup, starting on June 14, brings together some of the most celebrated teams and players in global football.
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HONG KONG - And Auckland City.
In a tournament boasting US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in prize money and featuring superstar multi-millionaire players including Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the New Zealand side are a striking anomaly. Auckland are an amateur club; their players balance football with university studies or full-time jobs as teachers, real estate agents, and sales representatives. They do not earn a salary for playing.
Their first game at the Club World Cup in the United States brings them face-to-face with German champions Bayern Munich and their prolific England striker Harry Kane. Benfica and Boca Juniors, two other storied heavyweights, come next.
Auckland striker Angus Kilkolly cannot wait.
"It's probably our dream group," he said as he made his way to training from his day job in sales.
"For us to be able to experience playing against those teams is a dream for us. To be actually on the same pitch is a little bit crazy."
هذه القصة من طبعة June 11, 2025 من The Straits Times.
اشترك في Magzter GOLD للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة، وأكثر من 9000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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