Sales for the FIFA Club World Cup, a series of precursor games ahead of next year’s North American World Cup, were already lackluster when, last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection bragged online about how its agents would be “suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games.

More than 1,000 fans showed up on the waterfront to set a Guinness record for most people receiving a soccer lesson prior to the Sounders-Botafogo match.

It’s taken time for the Club World Cup to build brand awareness, but opening weekend drew huge crowds in Miami, NYC and Los Angeles.

The streets of Pioneer Square were flooded by attendees of the FIFA Club World Cup, a prelude to the 2026 World Cup, boosting local revenue and hotel occupancy.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, two of the best clubs in the world, are showing their early dominance at the tournament. Meanwhile, some non-European squads, like Brazilian club Palmeiras and Botafogo, are putting up strong performances to open the group stage.

Paris Saint-Germain, who won the UEFA Champions League to cap their season earlier this month, kicked off the FIFA Club World Cup in strong fashion Sunday at the Rose Bowl in front of 80,619.