Auckland City s Club World Cup participation is a privilege with a price

MIAMI - Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month.

The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champions will pocket a staggering $125 million — while his semi-professional team plays on for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation.

My business runs on a commission basis only, Mitchell told Reuters on Thursday after his side’s humbling 10-0 defeat to European giants Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup.

If I’m not back working, theres no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and thats what a lot of us have done.

The Club World Cups new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season.

Mitchell and his teammates, many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen, are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage.

It is not just Mitchell’s earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand’s labour laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Aucklands players, was already used up during last years Oceania qualifying tournament.

The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands. That was three weeks, Mitchell explained.

Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, its nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here.

While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of football’s smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout - a fraction of