Manolo Zubiria shares insights into Philadelphia’s significance ahead of FIFA Club World Cup

In less than 100 days, the world’s greatest soccer players will emerge from the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field with an opportunity to win the most prestigious trophy at the club level, the FIFA Club World Cup.

The kickoff on Monday, June 16 th between Brazilian giants Flamengo and African champions Espérance Sportive of Tunisia will mark many firsts for Philadelphia in what has been a long and prosperous journey for FIFA to both grow the sport in the United States and expand a competition fitting of a club world champion. The recently expanded format will feature 32 teams and 63 games across the country, the largest international competition of its kind since the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, an event that did not include Philadelphia.

“Philadelphia is a special city for us at FIFA,” Manolo Zubiria, Chief Tournament Officer for FIFA World Cup 2026 told Philadelphia Soccer Now in an exclusive with Philadelphia soccer media, “if we look at the lineup of teams, the quality of teams that are coming through Philadelphia for this Club World Cup, it goes to show how important Philadelphia is for FIFA.” The Club World Cup will serve as a warm-up for Philadelphia ahead of next summer’s World Cup, which will be hosted throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. “Many of these players coming through will probably repeat next summer, and hopefully they walk away with a great experience in playing in the beautiful city of Philadelphia.”

The Club World Cup has progressed from the first edition in 1960 when Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo DiStefano led European Champions Real Madrid to victory over South American champion Peñarol in a home and away matchup to claim the Intercontinental Cup. In 2000, the
revised format included eight teams, among them host Corinthians who defeated CONMEBOL Champions Vasco de Gama in the final. That tournament included all of the continental winners in January and has led to FIFA’s ongoing intention to magnify its significance while finding its place within competitive club and international schedules. This summer, 24 players will have an opportunity to record a prestigious FIFA-double, winning both a World Cup and Club World Cup, joining the ranks of some of the game’s legends.

Much has been learned from 1994, an event Zubiria witnessed first-hand while watching his home country Spain compete at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

“There’s a really passionate fan base of soccer fans in the U.S., and you see it from the coverage of international soccer, European leagues being covered and being broadcast all over. On the weekends, people are just hungry for football, and we’re obviously leveraging on that.”

Zubiria alluded to TV deals with TNT and Univision, tapping into the Spanish language markets to reach wider audiences, and prioritizing in-person club events such as open trainings and community partnerships to connect with fans at more personal level. He anticipates fans will be able to interact with their heroes on a much larger scale, opportunities clubs have been improving in previous years during multiple preseason U.S. tours. The Trophy Tour is currently underway, making stops in every country represented in the Club World Cup, eventually passing through host cities like Philadelphia, and FIFA recently announced an initiative to find 9,000 volunteers to assist with the multitude of tasks associated with running an event of this magnitude.

Philadelphia will host some of the biggest clubs in the world, including current world club champions Manchester City, who play Wydad on Wednesday, June 18. Within a ten-day stretch, fans will also see Italian champions Juventus, current UEFA champions Real Madrid, and a much anticipated matchup between former world champions Flamengo and Chelsea on Friday, June 20, one of two games held in Philadelphia for both clubs. Flamengo and Chelsea will have an enormous presence in the area as they possess some of the largest supporters clubs on the east coast. “It was a scheduling matrix of trying to place the biggest teams and the biggest matchups in those stadiums that can cater to it, and in those areas in the country where we can tap into many communities,” Zubiria said.

Zubiria was in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field in the summer of 2023 when Chelsea took on Brighton Hove and Albion, which had 65,128 fans. Last July, the fans set a stadium record for a soccer match when Liverpool played Arsenal in front of 69,879. Both matches were friendlies.

“You could argue, is it the same level as a Flamengo-Chelsea game?” Zubiria said. “Probably not. We’re also seeing the numbers. It’s doing well.” Zubiria added that the significance of Philadelphia’s location on the east coast as well as its infrastructure were important factors in reaching the most fans throughout the region and beyond. In addition to hosting six group games, Philadelphia will also host a Round of 16 game on Saturday, June 28, and a quarterfinal on Friday, July 4th, a significant date for the country and the city. In 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday, and soccer has the potential to be a focal point in the city of its founding. “You can also thank the stadium and the whole city,”
Zubiria said, “because obviously we know how important Fourth of July celebrations are, and for us to have a game on that day with everything else that’s happening after with the celebrations, it was actually one of the fixed points on the schedule. Fourth of July in Philadelphia was a way to close out the venue and to celebrate.”

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