(BPT) - Excitement reaches fever pitch
It's halfway through the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, being held across 11 U.S. cities, and the excitement has been undeniable. Nearly 1.7 million fans have already filled stadiums coast to coast, with celebrities and athletes such as DJ Khaled, Adriana Lima, Jayden Daniels, Jimmy Butler and others, spotted in the stands and club supporters transforming host cities into their team's home away from home. The energy in the streets, in the bars, and in the stadiums has made this tournament one for the history books — and the best is yet to come.
kAmkDEC@?8mz?@4<@FE DE286 368:?Di #@F?5 @7 `e >2E496D DE2CE:?8 E9:D H66<6?5k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 E9:D H66<6?5[ E96 C@25 E@ E96 7:?2= ECF=J 368:?D] (:E9 2 D:?8=6 =@DD >62?:?8 6=:>:?2E:@?[ :EVD H:? @C 8@ 9@>6]k^Am
kAms@?VE >:DD J@FC 492?46 E@ D66 D@>6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD 3:886DE 4=F3D E2<6 E96 7:6=5 A=2J:?8 7@C 2 AC:K6 A@@= @7 S` 3:==:@?]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m• $2EFC52J[ yF?6 agi !2=>6:C2D GD] q@E27@8@k^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8m{:?4@=? u:?2?4:2= u:6=5k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8m!9:=256=A9:2k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8m`ai__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>m(:E9 3@E9 4=F3D C6AC6D6?E:?8 qC2K:= :? E96 8=@32= DA@E=:89E[ 6IA64E 2 7:6C46[ AC:56\7F6=65 4=2D9 2D E96J DEC:G6 E@ D9@H42D6 H92E qC2K:=:2? 4=F3 7@@E32== :D 2== 23@FE]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• $2EFC52J[ yF?6 agi ${ q6?7:42 GD] r96=D62 urk^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8mq2?< @7 p>6C:42 $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8mr92C=@EE6k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mci__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>mp 4=2D9 @7 tFC@A62? 42A:E2= 8:2?ED – q6?7:42 3C:?8D {:D3@?VD =6824J 2?5 A2DD:@?[ H9:=6 r96=D62 2CC:G6D H:E9 !C6>:6C {628F6 DH2886C 2?5 r92>A:@?D {628F6 A65:8C66]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• $F?52J[ yF?6 ahi !2C:D $2:?E\v6C>2:? GD] x?E6C |:2>: ruk^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8m|6C4656D\q6?K $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8mpE=2?E2k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8m`ai__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>m~?6 @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?EVD >@DE 2?E:4:A2E65 >2E496D 2D {:@?6= |6DD: 7246D @77 282:?DE 9:D 7@C>6C 4=F3[ !$v[ 7C6D9 @77 E96:C 7:CDE r92>A:@?D {628F6 E:E=6]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• $F?52J[ yF?6 ahi r# u=2>6?8@ GD] ur q2J6C? |F?:49k^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8mw2C5 #@4< $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8m|:2>:k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mci__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>mu=2>6?8@[ E96 AC:56 @7 qC2K:=[ E2<6D @? q2J6C? |F?:49[ E96 A@H6C9@FD6 @7 v6C>2?J[ 3C:?8:?8 2 4@?E:?6?E2= 4@==:D:@? 36EH66? EH@ 8=@32= 8:2?ED]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• |@?52J[ yF?6 b_i x?E6C |:=2? GD] u=F>:?6?D6 urk^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8mq2?< @7 p>6C:42 $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8mr92C=@EE6k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mbi__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>mu24:?8 @77 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 2 7C:6?5=J :? xE2=J :? `he`[ x?E6C |:=2? 3C:?8D :ED r92>A:@?D {628F6 A65:8C66[ H9:=6 u=F>:?6?D6 2CC:G6D H:E9 E96 DH2886C @7 C646?E r@A2 {:36CE25@C6D DF446DD]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• |@?52J[ yF?6 b_i |2?496DE6C r:EJ GD] p= w:=2=k^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8mr2>A:?8 (@C=5 $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8m~C=2?5@k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mhi__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>m|2?496DE6C r:EJ[ @?6 @7 tFC@A6VD 6=:E6 4=F3D[ E2<6D @? p= w:=2=[ @?6 @7 pD:2VD >@DE 564@C2E65 4=F3[ :? 2 ECF6 4=2D9 @7 4@?E:?6?ED 2?5 2 D9@H42D6 @7 8=@32= 7@@E32== 42=:36C]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• %F6D52J[ yF=J `i #62= |25C:5 GD] yFG6?EFDk^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8mw2C5 #@4< $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8m|:2>:k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mbi__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>m(:E9 46?EFC:6D @7 9:DE@CJ 36EH66? E96>[ #62= |25C:5 2?5 yFG6?EFD 3C:?8 564256D @7 5@>:?2?46 2?5 6=:E6 E2=6?E E@ @?6 @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?EVD >@DE 2?E:4:A2E65 >2E49FAD]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m• %F6D52J[ yF=J `i q@CFDD:2 s@CE>F?5 GD] ru |@?E6CC6Jk^DEC@?8m 2E kDEC@?8m|6C4656D\q6?K $E25:F>k^DEC@?8m[ kDEC@?8mpE=2?E2k^DEC@?8m – kDEC@?8mhi__ !| t%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= DEJ=6lQ=:DE\DEJ=6\EJA6i 4:C4=6jQmk=:mk6>ms@CE>F?5[ <?@H? 7@C AC@5F4:?8 J@F?8 DE2CD[ :?4=F5:?8 p>6C:42? v:@ #6J?2[ 8@6D 9625\E@\9625 H:E9 |@?E6CC6JVD 6IA6C:6?465 C@DE6C 3F:=E 7@C AC6DDFC6\A24<65 >2E496D]k^6>mk^=:mk^F=m
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^663ee4b7\ebc4\cdfh\2a_h\_73c_aa2``d2];A8Q 2=ElQ?F==Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk6>m!p$pst}p[ rp{xu~#}xp \ y&}t `hi u2?D @7 q@E27@8@ D9@H E96:C DFAA@CE 5FC:?8 E96 uxup r=F3 (@C=5 rFA a_ad 8C@FA q >2E49 36EH66? !2C:D $2:?E\v6C>2:? ur 2?5 q@E27@8@ u# 2E #@D6 q@H= $E25:F> @? yF?6 `h[ a_ad[ :? !2D256?2[ r2=:7@C?:2] W!9@E@ 3J p=6I !2?E=:?8 \ uxup^uxup G:2 v6EEJ x>286DXk^6>mk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8m"F2CE6C7:?2=D 2?5 36J@?5i r:E:6D D6E E@ 9@DE 9:DE@C:4 D9@H5@H?Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 E@FC?2>6?E 4@?E:?F6D H:E9 BF2CE6C7:?2=D :? pE=2?E2[ ~C=2?5@[ }6H *@C<^}6H y6CD6J[ 2?5 !9:=256=A9:2[ 8:G:?8 72?D :? E96D6 4:E:6D 2 7C@?E\C@H D62E E@ D@446C 9:DE@CJ] pD E96 DE2<6D C:D6[ 2== 6J6D H:== EFC? E@ |6E{:76 $E25:F>[ E96 :4@?:4 G6?F6 D6E E@ 9@DE 3@E9 E96 D6>:7:?2=D 2?5 E96 7:?2=[ H96C6 @?6 4=F3 H:== =:7E E96 EC@A9J 2?5 46>6?E E96:C =6824J]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mw@H E@ H2E49 2?5 86E :?G@=G65k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm*@F 42? 8C23 E:4<6ED 7@C E96D6 >2E496D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7:72]4@>^E:4<6EDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8muxup]4@>^%:4<6EDk^DEC@?8mk^2m[ E96 @77:4:2= 2?5 AC676CC65 9F3 7@C AFC492D:?8 uxup r=F3 (@C=5 rFA a_ad E:4<6ED] u@C 72?D =@@<:?8 7@C 2 AC6>:F> 6IA6C:6?46[ E:4<6E\:?4=FD:G6 9@DA:E2=:EJ A24<286D 2C6 2=D@ 2G2:=23=6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7:72]4@>^9@DA:E2=:EJQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8muxup]4@>^w@DA:E2=:EJk^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 42?VE >2<6 :E E@ E96 DE25:F>[ J@F H@?VE >:DD 2 E9:?8 — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^:?D:56]7:72]4@>^E@FC?2>6?E\@C82?:D2E:@?^4@>>6C4:2=^>65:2\C6=62D6D^52K?\D:8?D\=2?5>2C<\7C66\E@\G:6H\562=\6I4=FD:G6=J\3C@2542DE\4=F3\H@C=5\4FA\a_ad\8=@32==JQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8msp+}]4@>k^DEC@?8mk^2m :D DEC62>:?8 6G6CJ >2E49 =:G6 2?5 7C66[ 3C:?8:?8 E96 6I4:E6>6?E @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E DEC2:89E E@ 72?D 6G6CJH96C6]k^Am
kAmu2?D 42? 2=D@ 7:== @FE 2 $64@?5 r92?46 3C24<6E 7@C E96 <?@4<@FE DE286 96C6i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^A=2J]7:72]4@>^3C24<6E\AC65:4E@C^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^A=2J]7:72]4@>^3C24<6E\AC65:4E@C^k^2mk^Am
kAm%@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 uxup r=F3 (@C=5 rFA a_ad[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7:72]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8muxup]4@>k^DEC@?8mk^2m]k^Am