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Bayern begin the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in Cincinnati on Sunday as they take on Auckland City in the opening game of Group C (kick-off at 12pm local time/ 6pm CEST, live coverage on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app with our text commentary). “We want to go into the tournament full of belief,” said head coach Vincent Kompany in the build-up. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.
Check out photos from final training on Saturday:
Latest news from Bayern
The majority of Bayern’s squad has been in the USA since Tuesday evening, with the remaining players arriving by Friday after completing international duty. The team have been working hard at their basecamp in Orlando to prepare for their opening match. “We’ve got the feeling now that things are finally starting, that we’re excited about the game and what this tournament can bring,” Kompany stated. “At the end of the day, you need results. But our feeling is that we’ve got a good mix of fun from being together and concentration. We’ve had good intensity from the start,” the Belgian continued.
Bayern’s opponents in Group C are Boca Juniors, Benfica and opening rivals Auckland. “We always have the highest goals at Bayern. But we need to win the first tournament first, which is the group,” the 39-year-old insisted. It means a win is absolutely a must in Sunday’s first match. “We want to approach the game seriously and do our job,” Kompany concluded.
Hear more from Kompany at his pre-match press conference here:
Opponent: Auckland City
Auckland are the most successful team in New Zealand football history and also boast a record 13 Oceania Champions League titles. The Navy Blues, who are a semi-professional team full of players who hold jobs elsewhere alongside playing, come into the tournament with decent momentum of four straight wins in domestic action. The team from the North Island have scored 15 goals in that run, led by striker Myer Bevan. “It’s tough to judge how the levels compare, but it doesn’t change how we prepare. We’ve done our stuff there,” said Kompany. “They’re well organised. We’re playing against a team who will probably sit back and be compact, wait for a moment to come their way. The important thing is that we have respect and focus,” he added.
Former Bayern player and New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh has spoken about Auckland City:
Match facts
- This is the first competitive meeting between Bayern and Auckland City, or indeed any club from New Zealand.
- Auckland competed in the previous format of the Club World Cup a record 11 times. Their record in the tournament is 18 games, three wins, two draws and 13 defeats.
- Bayern have twice won the Club World Cup (2013 and 2020) and the predecessor Intercontinental Cup (1976 and 2001).
- Auckland’s best finish at the Club World Cup was third in 2014.
- Auckland City have won the Oceania Champions League 13 times and the New Zealand league title 10 times – both competition records.
Get the latest from Bayern at the Club World Cup here:
Team news
“We’ve got no problems with the guys who arrived later. It might be that some of them don’t start. We need to see how things are with the players who were injured for a while,” Kompany explained.
All FIFA Club World Cup matches are being broadcast live and for free by streaming service DAZN, although broadcasters will differ in some countries.
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