Oceania champions Team Wellington have suffered heartbreak on the global stage, heroically going within a whisker of a massive upset over hosts Al Ain in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi this morning.

It’s a time for dynasties all over the world, a time for consolidation that is most frequently highlighted amongst the best in European football. Amongst the top five leagues in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain are dominating Ligue 1, Juventus are on course for an eighth-successive Serie A title, Atlético Madrid only briefly halted Barcelona and Real Madrid’s dominance in LaLiga, while Los Blancos have amazingly managed win three successive Champions League honours on the bounce. 

The FIFA Club World Cup returns tonight, with this year’s competition taking place again in the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi based club Al Ain FC host New Zealand Football Championship side Team Wellington, who were the winners of the 2018 OFC Champions League.

Team Wellington have already conquered both their own backyard and the entire Oceania region but there is one more stage on which they are yet to make their mark – the rest of the world.

The phrase “building a dream” means more than most to Team Wellington skipper Justin Gulley.

Since he dropped out of the professional game with the A-League’s Wellington Phoenix in 2016, the left-back has been pursuing a builder’s apprenticeship by day and OFC Champions League success with TeeDubs by night.

After experiencing heartbreak in three consecutive OFC Champions League finals to the Navy Blues, Team Wellington exorcised their demons by defeating their New Zealand rivals in the semi-finals. The TeeDubs’s long wait for continental glory then came to an end after a high-scoring aggregate victory in the final against Fijian outfit Lautoka.