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ICC World Test Championship final day four highlights: South Africa v Australia

"Surely, we can't mess this one up?" Shaun Pollock said as the lift at the Lord's media centre plummeted downwards shortly after stumps on day three.

The fact the former South Africa captain, here on commentary duties, felt even the slightest tinge of nervousness after a day of batting domination offers an insight into the cricket psyche of his country.

In other words, there stillwasa chance the Proteas -who carried the moniker as professional sport's biggest chokers- could somehow contrive to make a dog's dinner of scoring 69 runs to win the World Test Championship (WTC).

Aiden Markram resumed on an unbeaten century but like many of his team-mates, had a restless night at their London hotel pondering how things might pan out.

Even the sleeping tablets he took could not help him switch off.

It's hard to imagine their opponents, Australia, suffering from the same chronic lack of self-conviction. From this position, they would have peacock-strutted to the line.

Australia's players saw it as an opportunity, too.

They picked at this particular South Africa scab with their verbal armoury of salty snipes when a tense chase began.

"Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, choke," South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma told BBC Test Match Special.

"It's been years since we've overcome a final, we've been etched in history. Now we're part of something that has never been done."

There's no doubt the weight of history – before South Africa managed towrap up this five-wicket winover Australia – weighed heavily.

Emotional Maharaj on 'special' South Africa victory

In 18 previous one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa's men's team have reached a solitary final, having lost 10 of their 12 knockout matches across both competitions.

Strictly speaking, South Africa's menhavewon global events before. Although it's debatable whether you can class them as major.

They lifted the inaugural 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy in Bangladesh – the tournament was later rebranded as the Champions Trophy by the International Cricket Council.

Earlier that same year, South Africa defeated Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games played in Malaysia.

Althoughhaving netted in underground car parksin Kuala Lumpur and been fascinated by the the size of Jonah Lomu's lunch, perhaps the tournament was approached in a more leisurely fashion.

This was just the third iteration of the WTC, but you only had to witness the number of Saffers who came through the gates at Lord's, and the tears from Keshav Maharaj afterwards, to sense what going from chokers to champions felt like.

"It would be great to never hear that word [choke] again, that's for sure," said Markram, who went to the stands and downed a pint of beer with an old school friend to celebrate.

"To have got the job done and to get rid of that, it's a big thing for this team."

Australia's sledging perhaps masked some of their own struggles as they build towards hosting an Ashes series against England, with captain Pat Cummins hinting changes could be afoot for a forthcoming tour to West Indies.

"We've obviously got a team here that got us to the final so it's about when do we feel it's the right time to change," Cummins, 32, said.

"After this Test match, everyone is thrown back into the conversation so it's a bit of a reset. It's probably more for me and the selectors to sit down and map it out."

When Bavuma walked into the post-match news conference and carefully placed the glittering mace – the prize awarded to the WTC winners – down on the table in front of him, the significance of the moment was not lost.

It is more than three decades since South Africa's cricketers were readmitted to the international fold following the sporting boycotts established by the Gleneagles Agreement.

Bavuma is South Africa's first black African batter, first black African to score a Test century, as well as the country's first black African captain.

He is now the first South African to win a major ICC trophy, and follows in the footsteps of Siya Kolisi, South Africa's black double World Cup-winning rugby union captain, in breaking barriers.

Bavuma spoke in depth inan interview with BBC Sportbefore the WTC about South Africa's post-apartheid era of sporting transformation.

He is a humble and quietly spoken leader in the dressing room, dovetailing with the subtle acumen of head coach Shukri Conrad.

In many ways Bavuma embodies a group of South African players who might lack some of the stardust of previous teams but showed here they have character, depth and unity.

With a beaming smile in the aftermath of this victory at Lord's, the joy on Bavuma's face was clear.

"It's a chance for South Africa to be united. We've got a cause where we can put aside our differences and enjoy it," Bavuma added.

"We are unique in a lot of ways, our present and future is shaped by our past. It is a chance for us to rejoice in something, forget our issues and come together."

South Africa may be World Test champions but have no home men's matches in the longer format scheduled for 2025-26.

Markram said its primacy in the country should never be questioned.

"It's always been my most important and most favourite format. Naturally, playing fewer games is not really on us, it's just sort of the cards you get dealt," he said.

"But it's really important, in my opinion, to keep Test cricket as the number one in South Africa."

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Florian Wirtz has agreed a club-record £100m move to Liverpool

"His name is going to go stratospheric in the next season or two."

Going by the words of German football expert Raphael Honigstein, Liverpool's club-record£100m capture of Florian Wirtzcould prove one of the deals of the summer.

The 22-year-old German attacking midfielder has agreed a deal to sign for the Premier League champions in a package that could eventually be worth a British record £116m.

"He will bring a lot of class and poise," Honigstein added on BBC Radio 5 Live. "He is more or less the fully-formed article.

"He has played for Leverkusen and Germany so knows the demands that are on him, but still, he will have to adjust to the pace of the Premier League and the more physical way.

"Opponents will try to negate his influence and that might prove a challenge, but he is young enough and good enough. He is not easily intimidated and stands up strong to the challenge. You are buying a superstar."

Wirtz made his top-flight debut aged 17 for Bayer Leverkusen in May 2020 and just 19 days later he became the then-youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history against the might of Bayern Munich – a club who were also in contention for his signature this summer.

Since making his debut for Leverkusen, Wirtz has provided 44 assists in the Bundesliga, ranking him third of all players – but everyone else in the top five is at least 29 years old, indicating his high ceiling for development.

He will become the second player Liverpool have bought from Leverkusen this summer, with right full-back Jeremie Frimpong having arrived in a £34m deal.

The Reds will now turn their attentions to securing a deal for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, with talks taking place about a deal of between £45m-£50m.

"The key factor was, unlike other clubs, Liverpool presented a really thought-out vision," said Honigstein. "A very clear vision of how and where he will play.

"At Bayern, it was very difficult to fit him in alongside Jamal Musiala, at Man City they haven't had that central player. I don't think any club came near when representing the ultimate package and vision."

But with a multitude of attacking options already at their disposal, where exactly will Wirtz play for Arne Slot's Reds?

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Wirtz is already one of the Bundesliga's top performers at the age of 22, largely operating as a number 10 – a dynamic playmaker blessed with pace, awareness and the ability to make clever decisions at high speed.

He was the most effective dribbler of all Bundesliga players last season, both in terms of volume and accuracy while carrying the ball.

Twenty-three of his 31 Bundesliga appearances in 2024-25 came in an attacking midfield/number 10 berth, although he does tend to drift towards the left wing.

"His best position, and the position that has been earmarked him for him in talks with Arne Slot, is that number 10 central role," said Honigstein. "In a slightly reshuffled Liverpool, more Dutch and more 'Arne Slot' team.

"He will be the fulcrum in attack. A player who can pick up spaces between the line, has an eye for the killer ball but never loses sight of the goal. He can score goals himself and is very tenacious. A very modern number 10 and a player a lot of clubs wanted."

If Wirtz takes up a place in Slot's midfield, playing as a traditional 10, someone has to miss out, especially in the 4-2-3-1 formation used so effectively last season.

It's unlikely to be Ryan Gravenberch given his rise into the anchoring role, which means Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister become vulnerable.

The two share similar stats, with Szobozslai creating more 'big' chances across the season, serving up more goals and assists, and Mac Allister being the more combative of the two.

He could provide an option on the flank, but Liverpool's wide areas appear to be under lock and key. Mohamed Salah holds the right side, while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo offer variety on the left.

"Salah will play where he plays and Szobozslai is the most interesting one, as that would be the obvious place for him to play from what we have seen in Germany," said Liverpool fan and Anfield Wrap podcaster John Gibbons on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"But Slot loves Szobozslai, he does so much and helps Salah. You would imagine he will try and find a way to get both of them if he can."

That alternative could see Wirtz, or Szobozslai, playing in the centre-forward role in a 4-3-3, more as a false nine – a system and formation often used by Slot's former side Feyenoord, which sees the central striker dropping to receive passes and creates room for runs from elsewhere.

It was a style that Roberto Firmino built his legacy with, by dropping from forward positions into areas where he could link play, thus allowing the relentless Salah and Sadio Mane to prosper from wide berths.

The output of Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez perhaps points to the central-attacking area being the one where Liverpool lack a man in form.

"Liverpool with number nines hasn't worked," added Gibbons. "This is an alternative, to instead play someone occupying that role but playing a bit deeper and allowing Salah and Diaz to fill that void.

"Paris St-Germain impressed everyone playing that way. They did it with Ousmane Dembele up top, who is not really a striker, and they had flying full-backs.

"We have brought Frimpong in and it looks like Kerkez will be next, so maybe he's looking at PSG and modelling on that."

Pick your Liverpool XI for next season below. We have included both Wirtz and Kerkez in the available squad, with both set to be at Anfield next season.

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Wirtz has 31 caps for Germany and was influential in Leverkusen's undefeated run to a historic first Bundesliga title in 2023-24, creating an unrivalled 70 chances from open play.

It was particularly sweet for a player whose previous campaign – and dreams of playing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – were wrecked by recovery from an ACL injury that ruled him out for 10 months.

His excellent form continued into the 2024-25 season, ranking second of all Bundesliga players for assists (12), while he is highly dangerous when operating between defensive lines – across the past two campaigns he has played more through balls than any other player in the German top flight.

His rise to the top of European football firmly has been a family affair. He is the youngest of 10 siblings; his sister Juliane plays for Werder Bremen and his mum Karin is a handball coach.

And then there is Florian's father Hans-Joachim who, in his early 70s, continues to act as his son's agent, negotiating a £116m transfer deal at the same time as running an amateur football club in the family's hometown of Pulheim, just outside Cologne.

"It's a bit different when you are running a Sunday league team as opposed to leading negotiations with Liverpool," German football writer Constantin Eckner told 5 Live Sport.

"It is, of course, not typical in today's world, but it might give you a different sense of how things should work for you in your career, as opposed to when you have a really cut-throat agent who is looking for the highest profit."

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Daryl Gurney celebrates after hitting the double eight which sealed the World Cup of Darts for Northern Ireland on Sunday

Daryl Gurney says he hopes his and Josh Rock's victory for Northern Ireland in the World Cup of Darts in Germany can help "push on" the sport, but admits their triumph "hasn't sunk in".

The pair won a thrilling last leg to beat Wales 10-9 and be crowned world champions for the first time.

They were forced to regroup following four missed darts to wrap up the win when 9-8 ahead as Welsh pair, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, took advantage to level.

Gurney kept his cool in the decider to nail double eight and seal the £80,000 first prize amid emotional scenes and he hopes their achievement will help inspire the next generation.

"If me and Josh can help push on darts, it would be brilliant, but we've always had a brilliant standard of players," said Gurney.

"With Josh coming through and me winning in previous years, I feel as though more people are taking the chance on not just playing the game, but managers are taking note of Irish players and sponsoring them to give them that chance.

"To play in the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation), you need that funding to do all the travelling and some people are taking the chance on Irish players to find the next Josh Rock."

Gurney was speaking on Monday as he prepared to head for home and admitted there was no time for wild celebrations on Sunday night.

Following victory over South Africa on Saturday, the pair had to come through matches against the Republic of Ireland and Germany earlier on Sunday, before beating Wales in the decider.

It provided a mental test but Gurney commended his playing partner, whom he is tipping to reach the very top of the sport.

"Josh was immense, the best player in the competition for me," he said.

"His scoring was unreal, he pumped them in at perfect times. He has been on fire all year, a future world champion, future major champion and just a pleasure to play with him. He made my job a lot easier.

"We made the decisions together. He wanted to throw first and I was more than happy to let him do that."

Hitting the double eight to seal victory was a sweet moment for Gurney who had been waiting since the 2018 Players Championship for a third major title.

Out of the four players in the final, Gurney is the lowest ranked, so there were some nerves as he got ready to take out the match-winning double eight.

"Those boys have been there and done it more frequently than me over the last couple of years, so I'm still buzzing now," he added.

Five-time Champions League winner, Gareth Bale retired in January 2023

Former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale is part of a US-based consortium's attempt to take over League One club Plymouth Argyle.

Talks with the private equity firm are said to be at an early stage.

Plymouth owner Simon Hallett said last month that a previous agreement to sell a stake in the club had fallen through.

Bale would be following the lead of former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric, who has become part of the group that acquired control of Swansea in November 2024.

The Croatia midfielder took on a minority stake in April this year with the stated aim of generating worldwide attention on the Welsh club.

Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady previously became part of the new Birmingham City's ownership group, while Wrexham have generated huge amounts of revenue from publicity attached to their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Plymouth were relegated to the third tier last season after an ill-fated return to the Championship.

The ambitious pre-season appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager did not work and his replacement Miron Muslic resigned at the end of the season and joined German club Schalke.

Former Manchester United midfielder and Watford boss Tom Cleverley was appointed as manager on 13 June.

It is not known what role, if any, five-time Champions League winner Bale will have at Plymouth should the planned takeover succeed.

The former Southampton and Tottenham man, 35, retired from playing in 2023.

Nepal became an associate member of the ICC in 1990

Nepal cricket officials have outlined their intention to play Test cricket in the future and are "climbing Everest" to one day face England in a match at Lord's.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) are building towards full membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) which would open the door to playing the longer format.

Nepal are an associate member of the ICC and Test cricket is currently only the preserve of its 12 full members.

Ireland and Afghanistan were the last countries to be given Test status when they were awarded full membership of the ICC in 2017.

CAN secretary Paras Khadka told BBC Sport there is a real appetite in Nepal for the country to play the longer format at international level.

"For anybody who knows Nepal, it is for climbing Everest. Test cricket is a dream but it is going to take time, " Khadka said.

"But for us, because it is in our backyard, we want to make sure that we climb all the right hurdles and one day we reach Everest, which means Test status and ICC full membership for us."

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The appetite for cricket in Nepal, which has a population of 29m, is seen by the huge passionate crowds drawn to matches in the nation's capital Kathmandu.

Nepal were admitted to the ICC in 1988 and became an associate member in 1990.

But to become a full member of the ICC, Nepal must fulfilcriteria defined by the ICC,externalwhich includes governance, performance, participation and domestic structures, infrastructure and development programmes.

CAN launched its own domestic T20 franchise competition – the Nepalese Premier League – last year and have established a multi-day domestic red-ball competition in preparation for a bid to eventually play Tests.

The governing body has also invested in women's cricket – including awarding central contracts – and has received government funding to build and upgrade some of its grounds.

CAN will continue pressing their case, on an informal basis, at the ICC's Annual General Meeting in Singapore, which takes from 17 to 20 July.

Nepal's matches in the capital Kathmandu frequently draw big crowds

Nepal qualified for last year's T20 World Cup and camewithin a whisker of beating South Africa, who went on to reach the final.

Under the guidance of new coach Stuart Law they are bidding to reach both the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 50-over version in 2027 and are currently in Glasgow for a T20 tri-series with Scotland and the Netherlands.

The dramatic performances by Nepal during a recent round of Cricket World Cup League 2 matches – part of the qualifying pathway for the next 50-over World Cup – with the same opponents in Dundee underlined their nickname the 'Cardiac kids'.

Anybody who witnessedtheir last-ball heroics against Scotland, and the subsequent pitch invasion by passionate Nepalese fans, will testify to its accuracy.

"I guess it's the way we have played our cricket for the past 10 years or so. Every game seems to go down to the wire," Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel told BBC Sport.

"So I think the name 'cardiac kids' comes because you never know how we can come back from a bad position to win a game. We are always fighting right until the end of a match even when the chance of winning might be small.

"Nepal played against MCC in 2016 and we won that game at Lord's so it would be great if we could play England there in a Test match one day. It would be a proud day not just for cricket, but for our country as a whole."

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Seonaid McIntosh (centre) had been expecting to medal in Paris

"I think it's probably the biggest disappointment I have ever had to deal with in my life."

Seonaid McIntosh still carries the scars with her from two failed attempts to live up to her world number one ranking at the Olympics.

They are not visible. But, after reversing her plan to retire after Paris 2024, she knows there is a chance they may never heal despite targeting a third attempt to medal in Los Angeles.

"I may get to the firing point and realise that I have not got over it all and I have just suppressed it all for a third time," the 29-year-old Scottish shooter told BBC Scotland.

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Big things have been expected of McIntosh at the Olympics since she won the 50m prone rifle world title in 2018 and the World Cup final the following year.

World Cup and European titles have followed, but returning empty handed from Paris after failing to reach the final in any of the three disciplines she contested still rankles.

"I think most of it is out of my system, there is always going to be a little bit that stays," McIntosh said.

"It felt like that was the second time it had happened – it all conspired against me for Tokyo [Olympics in 2021] and the same thing happened for Paris, so that disappointment was, I think, doubled almost because of that.

"I am not sure if I am completely over it yet. We will find out when I go back to training, or even when we get to LA."

McIntosh revealed that, prior to Paris "I was absolutely adamant I was going to retire" after it, regardless of how she got on.

Amid her despair in France, a chat with her partner prompted a change of heart and the decision to have another go at trying to turn her Olympic medal dreams into reality.

"He turned to me and he said 'I know this isn't necessarily the right time for this, and obviously take time to make the decision, but if you want to go back for another games, given everything that has just happened, I will totally understand and I will 100% support you'," she recalled.

"I was then like 'I don't think I could give it up at this point given what has just happened, I think I have to try again', because that was twice in a row I had got to the games as world number one and fluffed it up or something has happened.

"Even for my own sanity, I couldn't retire at this point in time and then be content with what has happened."

McIntosh has still to return to training, although she hopes to do so in September, after two lots of surgery – to deal with a troublesome hip injury and a problem with her jaw.

With rheumatoid arthritis and Chron's disease, the Edinburgh shooter is well used to dealing with physical issues.

As she targets Los Angeles 2028, she admits finding a way of dealing with what affected her in each of the last two Olympics could be the biggest challenge.

"So now that it has happened twice, I have that worry, is this a pattern? Is it going to happen a third time?" she said.

"I think this three years up until LA is going to be really different for me because I think I am going to have that fight with myself constantly.

"I think I am going to have that in the back of my head yapping at me being like, even if you go into this last one being the best you have ever been, and being world number one again, you are going to have a crisis of confidence when you get there and it is not going to matter."

McIntosh does have time on her side with the qualification window for the LA games not opening until near the end of next year.

"Obviously I am going to be a wee bit rusty when I go back, but I think, technically, I am still one of the best shooters in the world," she added. "I think the bit that is going to separate me is trying to figure out that psychology side of things.

"That is going to be theme for the next few years – either quietening that little voice or getting it to say something else I suppose."

George Russell sits fourth in the drivers' championship with 136 points

George Russell says he feels like he's "driving better than ever" after winning his first race of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver, who started on pole, held the lead from Max Verstappen at the start and controlled the race from that point.

It was the Briton'sfirst victory since Las Vegasin November and fifth podium of the 2025 season.

Red Bull lodged a protest, claiming that Russell drove erratically behind the safety car following Lando Norris' collision with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, but it was rejected by the stewards.

Russell, 27, also started on pole in Montreal last year but could only finish third.

"It feels a bit of a redemption compared to last year because I was really disappointed with my performance last year and we should have won," he told Sky Sports.

"It was my mistakes that let the team down but I'm in a different place right now and I feel like I'm driving better than ever. I felt pretty chilled throughout the whole race."

Russell is fourth in the drivers' championship, 62 points behind leader Piastri with Verstappen 19 points ahead of him in third.

He believes only further mishaps from the McLaren drivers – Norris was forced out of the race after hitting Piastri's car – would allow him to be part of the title fight.

"I don't know how both Max and I are so close to those two (Piastri and Norris) in the championship because McLaren clearly have the dominant car," said Russell.

"I cannot imagine they will keep throwing away points in the manner that they are doing, but of course, we hope that continues to be the case."

Russellhas been with Mercedes since the 2022 seasonand is out of his contract come the end of the season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suggested it was only a matter of time before a new deal is confirmed.

Wolff said: "The ambience in the team is great and we've agreed on some kind of timeline when we want to settle these things, with triple headers getting out of the way and one race after the other in June and July but we're going to get there."

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It was a successful day all round for Mercedes with 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli finishing third for his first podium in Formula 1.

Antonelli – at 18 years and 294 days old – becomes the third-youngest podium finisher of all time behind Verstappen and Lance Stroll.

Starting fourth, he overtook championship leader Piastri at the start and dealt with pressure from the Australian in the closing stages of the race.

"It was so stressful but super happy," Antonelli said. "The last stint I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and I killed a bit of the front left and I struggled a bit at the end, but I'm really happy to bring the podium home."

"This track has been good for us and the car has been incredible all weekend. Hopefully we can carry the same momentum into the next few races."

Russell said Mercedes performed so strongly at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve because a "smooth" track and "low-speed" corners suited the characteristics of the car.

Next on the calendar is Austria from 27-29 June and the Red Bull Ring will be a very different challenge to Montreal.

"It's going to be on old tarmac, more high-speed corners and it's going to be hot as well," Russell said.

"We've got three things working against us. I'm not going to sit here and say Mercedes is back because we were the quickest team here last year but we didn't win the championship. We know where we need to improve."

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Thomas Muller, who is set to leave Bayern Munich in the summer, scored his 250th goal for the club in Sunday's thrashing of Auckland City

It was one of the biggest mismatches you are ever likely to see in professional football.

For New Zealand part-timers Auckland City, upsetting 34-time German champions and six-time Uefa Champions League winners Bayern Munich was always going to be a tall order – to put it very mildly.

Once Kingsley Coman opened the scoring after five minutes at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, those dreams of an almighty shock were all but extinguished.

By full-time, Bayern had hit double figures for the first time since August 2021 to set a new Club World Cup record.

It was 10-0 – and it could have been more.

Bayern have won by a 10-goal margin in the Bundesliga before – registering an 11-1 win over Dortmund in 1971 – and their 2021 double-figure victory was a12-0 cup trouncingof regional league team Bremer SV.

For a while against Auckland, it looked as if the German giants' club-record 16-1 win over DJK Waldberg in the 1997-98 DFB Cup might come under threat.

Goals from Sacha Boey, Michael Olise and Coman made it 4-0 midway through the first half, with Thomas Muller and Olise then scoring Bayern's fifth and sixth before the interval – matching the six goals scored by Al-Hilal against Al Jazira in the previous record victory at the Club World Cup.

Germany international Jamal Musiala only replaced England captain Harry Kane in the 61st minute but there was still ample time for the 22-year-old to net a second-half hat-trick, before Muller wrapped up a crushing victory late on with his 250th Bayern goal.

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Auckland were perhaps fortunate not to lose by a heavier margin as Bayern peppered their goal with 31 attempts – including 17 on target – while enjoying 71% of possession.

The New Zealanders managed only one shot at Manuel Neuer's goal – Angus Kilkolly's low drive which was easily saved by the veteran goalkeeper.

The gaping chasm between the two sides on the pitch is mirrored off it…

Auckland reported 1.1m New Zealand dollars (around £488,000) in revenue for the last financial year, compared to the Bundesliga giants' 951.5m euros (£810m).

Auckland's amateur players have a salary cap of 150 New Zealand dollars (around £66) per week, while Harry Kane is reported to be earning £400,000 per week at Bayern. On that basis, it would take Auckland's best-paid player about 117 years to earn Kane's weekly salary.

Auckland's squad is valued at 4.58m euros (around £3.9m) by Transfermarkt, while Bayern's is valued at 903.5m euros (around £769m).

Oceania's sole representatives at the tournament, Auckland are getting £2.6m in prize money for taking part, while European clubs stand to earn between £9.9m and £29.6m.

Bayern are currently ranked sixth in Opta's Power Rankings – a global team ranking system – but Auckland are down in 5,074th, over 2,500 places below English National League side York City.

The next lowest-ranked team in the Club World Cup are UAE outfit Al Ain, who sit 625th.

While Bayern boast some of the biggest names in world football, Auckland's team includes a primary school teacher, an insurance broker, a barber, a sales representative at Coca-Cola, a car retailer, and several students.

Remarkably, Auckland left-back Nathan Lobo, 22, will have to sit a university exam from his hotel room during the competition.

Fifa's decision to expand the Club World Cup from seven to 32 teams this summer has alreadysparked legal complaints from players' union Fifpro and the World Leagues Association.

But the gulf in class between Bayern and Auckland on Sunday is likely to raise further questions about the new format of the competition.

Winners of the Oceania Champions League in each of the past four years, Auckland have made it to the tournament on that merit. Indeed, the New Zealanders are appearing in the competition for the 12th time – more than any other side.

However, whether they should be competing in the same group as a club of Bayern's stature is another matter.

In last year's Fifa Intercontinental Cup, which comprised six teams and effectively replaced the Club World Cup in 2024, Auckland were thumped 6-2 by Al Ain in the first round.

And in the final seven-team Club World Cup in 2023, they lost 3-0 to Saudi club Al-Ittihad in their only match.

"These games are so special for Auckland City," said former England midfielder Anita Asante, who was co-commentating on Sunday's game for Channel 5. "These guys are heroes to lots of budding football stars in New Zealand."

Fans following BBC Sport's live text coverage of the game were less enamoured by the Group C mismatch:

Sean:Watching Bayern tear apart a bunch of part-timers is just not it and the sooner Fifa realise it, the better. This isn't entertainment at all, let's not kid ourselves otherwise.

Sam:I know Bayern didn't choose who they play, but I do feel putting out this 11 was perhaps not the most sporting thing to do. This match makes uncomfortable viewing.

Richard:Isn't that what a pre-season friendly is for, not a competition with a prize of £100m for the winners?

Was there any sympathy for the New Zealanders from their opponents?

Asked after the final whistle whether he felt for Auckland, France international Olise simply replied: "No."

Auckland qualified for the Club World Cup as the best OFC Champions League winners over the ranking period between 2021 and 2024.

They have dominated their continental competition in recent years, winning it 13 times since 2006.

They won four and drew one of their five games in the most recent edition of the tournament, scoring 13 goals and conceding just twice.

Reflecting on Sunday's defeat, Auckland's interim coach Ivan Vicelich said: "This [result] is the reality of football against one of the world's top teams.

"It's a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment. We knew it was going to be a very difficult game, playing against one of the top teams in the world – potentially one of the favourites – so we're just really proud of the players' efforts."

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany added: "We have to remain modest, but it was important to be able to say that we took the game seriously.

"It was a good first match at the tournament, but of course challengers are going to grow and it's going to become more difficult."

The Bundesliga champions take on Argentine giants Boca Juniors in their next Group C encounter on Friday local time in Miami (Saturday 02:00 BST).

"A traditional team from Europe against a traditional team from South America – even if I weren't Bayern coach, I'd have attended this game," said Kompany. "It will be special."

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Liam Delap scored 24 goals under Maresca as Manchester City Under-23s won the league in 2021

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he has no doubt new striker Liam Delap will become a "future England number nine" as he prepares to make his Blues debut at the Club World Cup.

The 22-year-old forward joined in a £30m deal from Ipswich earlier in June to reunite with his former Manchester City academy manager.

Delap, who signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances last term.

Chelsea face Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opener on Monday (20:00 BST) in Atlanta.

When asked about Delap, who pulled out of England duty for the European Under-21 Championship to join Chelsea in the United States, Maresca said: "I said Liam can be England's number nine when we faced Ipswich.

"Now he is a Chelsea player, I'm going to say again, I don't have any doubt that he can be in the future England number nine.

"We won with Manchester City's Under-23s – he scored 24, 25 goals that season – so he knows exactly what we can give him, I know what Liam can give us. It's a win-win. We like Liam, Liam likes us, so it was an easy conversation."

Delap is among four new players in Chelsea's squad, along with returning loanee Andrey Santos and new teenage signings Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders.

But Maresca explained Delap will have to compete with fellow striker Nicolas Jackson to earn a starting place and refused to say whether he will start at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

He also explained, without directly being asked about it, that the club needs a new left winger after Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee not to sign Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, adding: "Jadon is not with us. So for sure that is a position that probably we need to do something.

"Also because, Misha [Mudryk] is not with us. At this moment we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] and Ty [George] as proper wingers. So for sure something is going to happen."

The Blues are expected to rekindle their interest in Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens as thetransfer window re-opens on Monday, having had a £42m bid rejected for the 20-year-old just before the Club World Cup.

They also made an approach for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Maresca insists he still has faith in the likes of Robert Sanchez. He explained: "Robert is the number one, we have Filip as number two.

"Penders joins us in the next few weeks to analyse, judge him and take a final decision. Then for Maignan or different players, I don't think it's worth talking about them."

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