Club World Cup fans light up the Linc in pictures

There have been numerous major soccer games in Philadelphia over the years, dating back to the night Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003 with an exhibition match between Manchester United and Barcelona. At this point, even people here who don’t like the sport know it’s popular, and that the city has become a destination for it.

But for all the games that had happened, until this summer, the city had never gotten to experience what the sport is truly about — not just on the field, but beyond it. Soccer is a cultural spectacle like nothing else, bringing people from everywhere together in a mosaic of national, cultural, and team colors.

The Club World Cup has finally brought that to Philly. It began on the day of the first Club World Cup game here, when hundreds of Flamengo fans gathered on the Art Museum steps, and it has continued every day since then.

» READ MORE: The Club World Cup in Philly serves as a reminder that soccer is more than the English Premier League

Lincoln Financial Field has seen 10 teams from across three continents so far. Each fan base has brought their own joyous style, from Flamengo’s huge fan base to Espérance’s flags and Wydad’s smoke bombs and flares. Then came the biggest team of all, Real Madrid, with over 64,000 fans packing the stands in those famous white jerseys.

Saturday’s all-Brazilian round of 16 matchup between Palmeiras and Botafogo brought another electric atmosphere to the city. Now there’s one game to go, a quarterfinal match between Palmeiras and Chelsea on July 4.

It has all been a great joy for soccer devotees around town to take in. If you’ve been at a game, or even just in the city on a game day, you’ve likely seen it too. If not, hopefully these photos will give you a taste of what makes the world’s game so special.