Auckland City weren't even coached by their normal coach, Paul Rosa, as personal circumstances kept him from heading to the United States with the team for the initial phase of the tournament, where the Navy Blues were led by a group of Adria Casals, Ivan Vicelich, Daewook Kim, and Jonas Hoffmann.

The Club World Cup's various problems have been well documented, from empty seats to storm delays, extreme heat to complaints about FIFA's expanded competition being a cash grab at the expense of the players' long-term health.

Their efforts at the FIFA Club World Cup earned the club over $7.5 million but the players are unlikely to see much of it.