The biggest upset of the 2025 Club World Cup occurred when the only amateur team, Auckland City, sent Boca Juniors home.

In the Group C matches of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, semi-professional Auckland City pulled off a stunning surprise on the 25th, not only scoring the first goal of the tournament but also managing to draw 1-1 against the Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors. This can be considered the biggest upset of this year's Club World Cup. However, both Auckland City and Boca Juniors failed to advance to the knockout stage.

Gray scored the equalizing goal for Auckland City.

This year's Club World Cup is the first to expand to a 32-team format, with Auckland City being the only amateur team in the tournament. Most of the players are amateurs, and many had to temporarily leave their full-time jobs to travel to the United States to play. Auckland City lost their first two matches, suffering defeats of 0-10 against Bayern Munich and 0-6 against Benfica.

Auckland City faced Boca Juniors today, and in the 26th minute of the first half, Boca Juniors scored an own goal, leaving Auckland City trailing 0-1 at halftime.

The second half was interrupted for nearly 50 minutes due to weather conditions. After the match resumed, in the 52nd minute, Auckland City's player Jerson Lagos took a corner kick that reached the opponent's penalty area, allowing Auckland City's Christian Gray to head the ball into the net. This not only marked Auckland City's first goal of the tournament but also helped the team secure a draw.

Auckland City had 2 shots on target out of 3 attempts, while Boca Juniors controlled 62% of the possession throughout the match, taking 40 shots, including 7 on target, but failed to score, relying solely on an own goal for their single point.

The semi-professional Auckland City surprisingly managed to draw.

In the Group C matches of the Club World Cup, Auckland City finished with 0 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, placing fourth in the group. Boca Juniors, with 2 draws and 1 loss, ranked third in Group C, and both teams were eliminated from the knockout stage. Benfica and Bayern Munich advanced to the Round of 16 from Group C.

Auckland City, hailing from New Zealand, is a strong contender in New Zealand and Oceania football, though not all players are professionals. According to the New Zealand Herald, "The team comprises real estate agents, teachers, salespeople, tradesmen, and university students, among others. They originally hoped to make their mark, even though it seemed nearly impossible, but they succeeded under extremely challenging circumstances."

Gray, who scored the equalizing goal, is a trainee physical education teacher in New Zealand. He expressed his excitement, saying, "Scoring that goal felt truly surreal, and I might still not be fully aware of it. I believe this team deserves this result, and I genuinely feel happy for my teammates."

Argentine giant Boca Juniors failed to reach the Round of 16 in the Club World Cup.

Moreover, the temperature at the start of the match was 96 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 35.5 degrees Celsius), which led Boca Juniors forward Edinson Cavani to remark that Auckland City's defense was impressive. "They never gave up, and we couldn't extend our lead. The weather conditions were tough; it was really hot. And when they equalized, they gained new energy."