Club World Cup: Defender and real estate manager - who are Auckland City, the only amateur team at the tournament?

By expanding the Club World Cup to 32 participants, FIFA aimed to give every continent a chance to shine. In Oceania, no one stands taller than Auckland City. And, incredibly, the New Zealand side are the only amateur team in the competition.

With just over 20 years of history, Auckland City were a regular presence in the Intercontinental Cup—the Club World Cup before the overhaul led by Gianni Infantino. Now, the New Zealand giants are looking to make history in the first edition of the new tournament.

Dominant in the Oceania Champions League, Auckland City face a huge challenge ahead in the Club World Cup. Trivela offers an overview of the New Zealand team’s story, whose players have other jobs outside of football.

Meet Auckland City

Auckland City, from its namesake city on the North Island, were founded in 2004 and won the New Zealand league in their very first season. From there, the Navy Blues—as they are known—began their path to glory in Oceania.

Their first major rival in New Zealand was Waitakere United, with whom they shared the next eight editions of the national championship. However, between 2013 and 2020, the Navy Blues won eight consecutive New Zealand League titles.

The following season, the country’s federation changed the format of the local tournament, which led to the dissolution of Waitakere United. Auckland City, meanwhile, maintained their dominance and won the first four editions of the new format.

If dominating New Zealand seemed too easy, the Navy Blues broke regional boundaries to take charge of football in Oceania. In 2006 and 2009, Auckland City won the continent’s Champions League.

Between 2010 and 2017, the Navy Blues lifted the trophy in every edition of Oceania’s most important tournament. Now four-time defending champions, Auckland City want to make their mark in FIFA’s new Club World Cup.

Vice-captain and real estate manager

Adam Mitchell is one of the Navy Blues’ “stars.” A defender and vice-captain of Auckland City, he also works as a real estate manager in New Zealand. In an interview with FIFA, the 28-year-old shared his story.

With Croatian roots on his mother’s side, Adam played for New Zealand’s youth national teams and even went to Red Star. From there, the defender played for smaller teams in Serbia and Slovenia before joining Bolton Wanderers, then in England’s second division (Championship).

Finding limited opportunities in European football, Adam Mitchell decided to return home and, in 2019, joined the Navy Blues. He believes he was always destined to wear the Auckland City shirt, as his uncle helped build part of the club’s headquarters years earlier.

In real estate, Adam is a partner in an agency with his father and earns by commission. As he prepares to face some of football’s biggest stars in the Club World Cup, the defender is already planning to expand his network of contacts.

Auckland City’s path in the new FIFA Club World Cup

Auckland City are Oceania’s only qualifier for the FIFA Club World Cup. And the Navy Blues’ mission will not be easy, as they are in one of the toughest groups alongside Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Boca Juniors.

Auckland City’s Club World Cup Schedule

• Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City — June 15 (Sunday), 1pm (Brasília time) — TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, United States

• Benfica vs Auckland City — June 20 (Friday), 1pm (Brasília time) — Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, United States

• Auckland City vs Boca Juniors — June 24 (Tuesday), 4pm (Brasília time) — GEODIS Park, Nashville, United States

This article was initially published on Trivela.

Written by
Ben Knapton