Club World Cup off to a solid start in Philadelphia
Notes from Lincoln Financial Field as Manchester City beat Wydad 2-0 in Group G
— Philadelphia
81 degrees Fahrenheit, humid east coast haze, the feel of an afternoon summer rain not far off. In the minutes winding toward noon today in Philadelphia, a lengthy line of cars and fans flowed toward South Philly’s sports complex to watch Morocco’s Wydad AC take on England’s Manchester City in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
There was a last minute rush to enter just before things set off—- rows of bottlenecked fans with Moroccan flags, parents towing kids on summer break with Haaland & co. on the back of their shirts—-but all told, once everyone entered, 37,466 fans in light blue or vibrant red filled the Linc for a group stage match in the Club World Cup. Not bad for noon on a Wednesday.
Inside, Wydad fans made themselves known immediately and serenaded the stands throughout. Piercing through their chants of, “Ole, ole, ole, Wydad, Wydad” came Phil Foden, who took two minutes to score for City in a match that stayed solidly in their favor, despite a few spells of lackadasical play, a late (and dubious) red card for Rico Lewis, and some threatening moments from the Moroccan side.
In a match full of corners for the title holders, who took six in the first half and nine overall, Foden assisted Jérémy Doku in the 42nd minute to make good on one. They entered the half up 2-0 and, with Haaland, Rodri, Bobb, Gündoğan, and Nunes entering throughout the second half, saw things out with that scoreline.
As the match ended, the smiling face of Foden displayed on the big screen, seemingly aware of his strong performance in a solid start for City who while imperfect, seemed capable of a higher gear as the tournament progresses. With today’s goal and assist, Foden became the first English player to score in multiple editions of the tournament, and now claims the fastest goal in the tournament’s history. As for Wydad, who demanded two saves from Ederson out of 12 shots in a lively match, they lost on the field but won in the stands (flares and pitch invaders/animal rights activists notwithstanding).
The FIFA Club World Cup wraps up matchday one of the group stage today, with City’s 2-0 win against Wydad marking the first of the day’s games. Despite the crowds or traffic, it was a placid day in the midday heat at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles and six World Cup games next summer.
Amid an egregiously overcrowded calendar in the game— a schedule that grows denser by the day—- the 32-team Club World Cup set off before uncertain expectations. Midday games on a weekday, tickets for presumably marquee affairs (the presently US-based atomic flea, Lionel Messi, in the opening match with Inter Miami for example) still on sale in large quantities leading up to kickoff, and only selling when prices were slashed. But the view from Philadelphia has been that of a healthy enthusiasm and laudable crowds for midday, midweek games, with fans for clubs outside the top-tier European leagues bringing the energy and atmosphere.
With Monday’s opening affair at the Linc featuring 25,797 fans cheering on Flamengo and Tunisian club Espérance de Tunis (the Brazilians won 2-0), and today’s test a solid progression, it’s so far so good at the Linc, who’ll host eight games this summer as they prepare for 2026. Next up: Chelsea arrives to play Flamengo this Friday afternoon.
