Benfica vs Auckland City: Live Stream, TV Channel, Kick-off Time & Line-ups

Benfica and Auckland City meet today in Group C of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025, a clash that kicks off at 12:00 p.m. local time (ET) at Orlando’s Inter & Co Stadium. With three points on offer and only the top two sides guaranteed passage to the last-16, neither the Portuguese giants nor the Oceania champions can afford a slow start. Kick-off times and broadcast information • USA: 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on FS2, TUDN and the Fox Sports app • UK & Ireland: 5:00 p.m. BST on TNT Sports 3 and discovery+ • Portugal: 17:00 WEST on RTP1 and Benfica TV • New Zealand: 4:00 a.m. NZST (Saturday) on Sky Sport 7 Official FIFA+ streaming is also available in select territories. Current form • Benfica arrive in Florida fresh from a 3-1 preseason win over Orlando City and have lost just once in their last 14 competitive fixtures. • Auckland City reclaimed the OFC Champions League title in May and are unbeaten in 11 straight matches across all competitions. Team news and projected line-ups Manager Roger Schmidt is expected to field his strongest XI as the Eagles target an early statement. Club sources confirm Álex Grimaldo (knock) is the only doubt, while João Neves returns after serving a domestic suspension. Auckland City boss Albert Riera can call on talismanic striker Ryan de Vries but may be without injured midfielder Cam Howieson. Benfica (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Bah, Otamendi, António Silva, Jurásek; João Neves, Kokçu; Di María, Rafa Silva, Neres; Tengstedt. Auckland City (4-3-3): Tracey; Mitchell, Vale, Adams, Howlett; Gillion, Conor Tracey, Rogerson; De Vries, Manickum, Deveney. Key head-to-head facts • This is the first competitive meeting between the clubs. • Benfica sit eighth in UEFA’s all-time rankings, boasting two European Cups, while Auckland City have a record 11 OFC Champions League crowns. Tactical preview Expect Benfica to dominate possession through their double-pivot of Neves and Kokçu, forcing Auckland’s compact 4-3-3 into a low block. Di María’s in-swinging crosses from the right and quick overloads down Neres’ flank could expose the New Zealanders’ full-backs. Riera’s side will look to spring transitions via De Vries’ pace in behind Otamendi, targeting set-pieces where centre-back Brian Adams excels. Prediction Quality and squad depth tilt the balance toward the Lisbon outfit, but Schmidt’s men cannot underestimate Auckland City’s counter-attacking threat. Benfica 3-1 Auckland City. Search-friendly takeaways • Benfica vs Auckland City live: score updates, TV channel, free stream options. • Club World Cup 2025 Group C standings and how today’s result shapes the bracket. • Orlando weather, ticket info and parking tips for fans heading to Inter & Co Stadium.