‘We're ready:' Fans pack out stadium for Atlanta's FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is underway in Atlanta with tens of thousands packed into Mercedes-Benz Stadium Monday afternoon to see Chelsea Football Club take on Los Angeles FC.
The Club World Cup matches start a timer for fans and even developers, getting ready for the World Cup next year.
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There were fans from all over the United States and from all over the world.
'We are here for about six or seven days, and we are going to see seven or eight games in that period. We started in Miami,' said Winfried Keuthage from Germany, who is planning on traveling to New Jersey and Washington, D.C., before heading home.
For many at the Club World Cup on Monday, this is just a warm-up for next year's World Cup, which includes semifinal matches in Atlanta.
'We are planning maybe to (go to) Mexico as well, but we hope we can manage to go to Atlanta for the semifinals and final in New York,' Keuthage told Channel 2's Candace McCowan.
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'I'm from Mexico City, so we have to go to Mexico,' said Mario Castrejon from Chicago.
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'We're getting ready, warming up, practicing our logistics. We are getting ready for the World Cup,' added Club Leon fan Ruben Morado.
The timer has started for their planning, but also for the developers behind Centennial Yards.
'We're going to have all of our real estate activated for World Cup, which is now less than a year away. It gets my blood pressure up when I say that,' explained President of Centennial Yards Company Brian McGowan. 'There's 1,200 workers down on that job site building things, pouring concrete and raising steel to make sure there is a brand new fan zone for next year.'
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'I mean, we're all football around here. A different kind of football, that will be kind of cool,' said Hamlin.
Monday's Club World Cup match is one of six in Atlanta between now and July 5.
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