"I come from a small town in New Zealand, a world away from here," Gray said after Auckland City's 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors on 25/6. "The football scene there is very different. So today's match feels like a dream. We deserved this draw."

Representing Oceania, Auckland City was considered the underdog among the 32 teams competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. They lost 0-10 to Bayern Munich in their opening match and then 0-6 to Benfica. However, in their final group stage match against Boca Juniors, Auckland City secured a draw, eliminating the Argentinian giants.

Gray, a gym teacher at Auckland Grammar School, vies for the ball with forward Edinson Cavani during Auckland City's 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on 24/6/2025. Photo: X/AtaqueFutbolero

According to the Opta Power Rankings, Boca Juniors is ranked 152nd in the world, while Auckland City sits at 4,971. Boca Juniors has won 74 titles, the most in Argentinian history. Auckland City's ranking is even lower than Vietnamese First Division (V-League 2) clubs like Binh Phuoc or Ninh Binh.

Gray's headed goal from a corner kick sealed the 1-1 draw. He was awarded "Man of the Match," and the goal earned Auckland City an additional 1 million USD in prize money, as teams receive 1 million USD for a draw in the group stage.

According to sports website Invictos, Gray's goal is a "historic moment" in this Club World Cup. It was Gray's first match in the tournament, and destiny chose him to score the decisive goal. However, he was already thinking about returning to New Zealand and grading his students' assignments.

The 28-year-old Gray works as a gym teacher because Auckland City is only a semi-professional team. "After the Club World Cup, I'll be back to continue my teaching job. I still have a lot of assignments to catch up on," he told DAZN. "Luckily, my school is currently on holiday."

"Gray will certainly have plenty of stories to tell his students," Invictos noted.

Compiled by Hoang An