What the FIFA Club World Cup taught Philly
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Wydad AC fans light flares and set off smoke bombs during the FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field in June. Photo: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty
The FIFA Club World Cup is in the rearview, but it will provide a road map for Philadelphia planners putting on next year's World Cup matches.
Why it matters: The 2026 event is expected to have a roughly $770 million economic impact on Philly, attracting more than 500,000 attendees.
The big picture: Lincoln Financial Field — which will be referred to as Philadelphia Stadium during the tourney — will host a total of six World Cup matches starting in June 2026: five group matches and one Round of 16.
State of play: The recent Club World Cup gave Philly a taste of how different soccer fans and their cultures are from other sporting events the city has experienced, Meg Kane, host city executive, tells Axios.
- "It is not Eagles-Dallas, 4 o'clock in the afternoon on a cold winter's day," she said.
Kane, who heads the organization tasked with planning and executing the World Cup in the city, wasn't involved in the operations for the Club World Cup.
- But she picked up several key lessons from the recent tournament.
- "It was a great real-time testing ground for us," Kane says.
Here are Kane's big takeaways from the Club World Cup in Philly:
🎉 The fans
The Club World Cup drew big international and domestic fan bases to the city over the course of eight matches, Kane said.
- Fan culture is loud, passionate and raucous, but also unique to each club.
- Case in point: Wydad fans set off flares and smoke bombs inside the Linc.
Soccer fans also seem to prefer gathering in a single place — like LOVE Park — before marching to the arena together and remaining there from kickoff to the final whistle.
🚨 Security
Updates to safety and security measures at the Linc will be needed.
- The goal is to thwart fans from sneaking in illegal items — like flares —but allow permitted items — like big drums — all while ensuring timely access into the stadium through security.
💰 Tourism
Hotel occupancy in Center City was up 18% year over year during the Club World Cup, Kane said.
- There's also anecdotal evidence that bars and restaurants saw an uptick in business during the event, she said.
- The takeaway: Fans are likely to come, stay and spend money in the city — despite fears of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown among fans.
🚇 Infrastructure
SEPTA was heavily used by fans to get to and from the stadium.
Threat level: SEPTA is bracing for massive service cuts and fare hikes this year, which will depend on state funding.
💬 Language support
Translators positioned around the stadium and potentially key points in Philly will be needed, Kane said.
- Next year's tourney will draw fans speaking many different languages, who will need help navigating the area.
What's next: City officials, FIFA, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and others will debrief about the Club World Cup in the coming weeks.
- That meeting will also help them refine preparations for the coming World Cup.