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Fans thrilled with Club World Cup experience
- Fans cite seeing unique match-ups as key motivation for coming to the US
- Over 1.6 million fans attend group stage games
- Boca, Esperance, Palmeiras fans display their passion in host cities
CA Boca Juniors fans took over South Beach. Espérance fans gathered in Times Square, and Palmeiras fans rallied around the Rocky Statue in West Philadelphia after beating rival Botafogo.
Every FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ host city has seen an influx of visitors, international and domestic, desperate to support their club on the biggest stage, and equally eager to watch clubs and stars they only ever get to see on TV.
German fan Sebastian spoke to FIFA outside of Audi Stadium ahead of the Wydad AC v Al Ain match. He had already traveled to several cities and was relishing his American experience. “I started in New York. I was there for two or three games. After that, I went to Miami,” Sebastian said. “I wanted to see Messi, it may be the last time for me to see him play [in person].”
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Moroccan locals Fatima and Lina were also at the Wydad game, wrapped in Moroccan flags and eager to cheer on the only Moroccan side at the tournament. It was their first Club World Cup game. “We wanted to come celebrate our country,” they told FIFA. “I feel like Wydad fans do it best, well, Moroccan fans in general.”
Although the game ended in defeat, the 12,000 strong crowd, made up predominantly of Wydad fans clad in red and white, never stopped singing. The passion these fanbases have transmitted in the stadiums and across US cities has been impossible to miss. And Americans should expect it again next summer.
Fatima and Lina expressed their desire to attend Morocco’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ games, saying “We’re planning that. We’re saving money for that.” Fellow Moroccan fan from Montreal, Zawahir said the same. “For sure, it depends where Morocco will be [playing. We will try to do it.”
Zawahir had come down from Canada with his wife and child to attend games in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. and was revelling in the experience. Wydad ended up losing all three of their matches in the competition, but for Zawahir the mere opportunity to see his club without having to travel all the way back to Casablanca was a blessing.
Sebastian, who will be going to Philadelphia before returning to New York for the final, said, “For me, the main reason [to attend the tournament] was that I hope I can get tickets for the FIFA World Cup next year. And I wanted to see all the amazing stadiums and meet the US people and the people from all over the world, especially the guys from South America. They’re quite crazy.”
While New York is Sebastian’s favourite city, it was Miami that impressed him the most. South Florida is increasingly developing into a premier sports region, with football at the heart of it, thanks to its predominantly Hispanic population well steeped in the traditions of the sport.
“I was at the Boca Juniors game in Miami,” said Sebastian. “It was such a nice experience, I really loved it.” Boca fans made an impression on more than just him. They captured national news attention as they partied on South Beach and created a raucous atmosphere even through a weather-delayed match against Auckland City FC.
The tournament also offered fans the opportunity to break down traditional barriers. CR Flamengo fan Carlos had tickets to see Juventus FC before watching his beloved black and reds. But he agreed with his brother, a Fluminense FC fan, to go see the eternal rival, if his brother did the same. “My brother is coming to the Flamengo game, so I’ve got to go see Fluminense,” he told FIFA, although he said the one team he would like to see more than any was Real Madrid C.F.
Ali from Dubai traveled to the US with similar hopes. An Al Ain FC fan since birth, he hoped Al Zaeem (The Boss) would advance to the knockout rounds and face Real Madrid, a rematch from the 2018 FIFA Intercontinental Cup™.
“This tournament shows the world the best clubs. I am so proud of my team, that they are here in the US playing in this tournament,” Ali told FIFA. Sebastian felt similarly. “I think there is no other chance to see players and clubs from all around the world in one tournament,” he said.
The consensus among traveling fans is that the tournament has been a priceless experience, filled with cultural and sporting opportunities. It even bridged generations, allowing locals like Yasser to see his first ever football match with his father Abdul, originally from Casablanca.
They are scenes sure to be repeated at the World Cup next year and in following editions of the Club World Cup.
