Bayern Munich thrashed New Zealand’s Auckland City 10-0 in their opening game at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday.

Auckland — the only amateur side taking part in the 32-team tournament — are the 5,074th best club in world football, according to Opta’s latest power rankings, while Bayern are sixth.

The 34-time champions of Europe showed no mercy in Cincinnati, naming a full-strength team — including England captain Harry Kane.

Remarkably, Kane did not score despite staying on the field until the 61st minute. However, his replacement, substitute Jamal Musiala bagged a second-half hat-trick.

Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise and Thomas Muller each netted two goals, while Sacha Boey was the other scorer.

The pick of the goals was arguably the sixth, which arrived just before half-time when former Crystal Palace star Olise cut inside from the right flank and curled brilliantly into the top corner from 23 yards.

Bayern Munich thrashed Auckland City 10-0 in Group C at the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday

Jamal Musiala scored three of his team’s TEN goals against amateur opposition in Cincinnati

Sacha Boey (left) and Michael Olise (right) were also among the goalscorers in Sunday’s rout

The one-sided nature of the result inevitably sparked questions about the merits of expanding the Club World Cup from seven teams to 32.

‘This Club World Cup is a bit of a joke in all fairness,’ tweeted one observer.

A Brighton supporter added: ‘This ISN’T even funny, this is pathetic now. Feel so sorry Auckland!’

Another fan wrote: ‘With all due respect to Oceania, if Auckland City is the best team to represent them, then there’s some serious questions to be asked.’

But Auckland’s participation in FIFA’s premier club event is nothing new. The Kiwi outfit have actually competed in more editions of the Club World Cup than any other team from any country. This is their 12th appearance.

They lost 3-0 to Saudi side Al-Ittihad in the first round in 2023, but earned a bronze medal back in 2014 when they beat opposition from Morocco, Algeria and Mexico, winning two penalty shootouts along the way.

Auckland’s status as the best team in the Oceania region is backed up by the fact they have won the OFC Champions League four times in a row since 2022.

However, Oceania has been significantly weaker since 2006 when clubs from Australia moved to the AFC to compete against Asian opposition, rather than against teams from New Zealand and the likes of the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga.