Bayern Munich showed no mercy to amateurs Auckland City at the Club World Cup on Sunday, beating the minnows from New Zealand 10-0 in their opening game as Jamal Musiala came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick.
Kingsley Coman, man-of-the-match Michael Olise and Thomas Muller all netted twice in Cincinnati, while Sacha Boey was also on target for the German champions in the game in Group C, which also features Boca Juniors and Benfica.
It was only thanks to some smart saves from Auckland goalkeeper Conor Tracey that the scoreline was not even worse for the Kiwi side.
"We have to remain modest but it was important to be able to say that we took the game seriously," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
"It was a good first match at the tournament, but of course challenges are going to grow and it's going to become more difficult."
England captain Harry Kane started but failed to find the target before being replaced just after the hour mark by Musiala, who netted his three goals in the space of 18 minutes towards the end.
It was a stroll in the park in the midday sun in Cincinnati for Kompany's side, with France winger Coman scoring twice in the opening 21 minutes either side of goals by countrymen Boey and Olise.
Coman's sixth-minute breakthrough goal was the first of the tournament following the 0-0 draw between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Al Ahly in Saturday's opening game.
Muller got the fifth and Olise's second of the afternoon made it 6-0 in first-half stoppage time for the Bundesliga champions.
Auckland City managed to stem the tide for much of the second half before Musiala came on and took centre stage, his three goals including one from the penalty spot.
Muller made it 10-0 in the 89th minute for a Bayern side who won the Club World Cup twice in its former seven-team guise, in 2013 and 2020.
It was the veteran's 250th goal in what was his 752nd senior game for Bayern in a tournament which will mark the end of his 25-year career at the club.
Germany international Musiala marked his return from a hamstring injury in style while France playmaker Olise stood out with two goals and two assists before being taken off at half-time.
German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was a virtual spectator as Auckland managed only one attempt on the veteran's goal in comparison to Bayern's 31 at the other end of the pitch.
They have recorded bigger victories in the past in the German Cup, but the 10-goal winning margin equals their best ever win in the Bundesliga, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 11-1 in 1971.
This victory also comfortably beat the previous record win at the Club World Cup – when Saudi side Al Hilal hammered Al Jazira of the UAE 6-1 in 2022.
Bayern, who gave new signing Jonathan Tah a debut in central defence following his recent arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, play Boca in their next match in Miami on Friday. Auckland City take on Benfica earlier the same day in Orlando.
"This is the reality of football against one of the world's top teams," admitted City's interim coach, Ivan Vicelich.
"It is a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
