The Club World Cup, warts and all, comes to Audi Field
The mélange of blue skies, storm clouds and intermittent downpours that hovered over Audi Field before kickoff Wednesday night formed a suitable metaphor for this supersized Club World Cup.
The outlook for the tournament, as a FIFA cash cow, is sunny enough. Any excuse to bring soccer's elite to the United States for matches that count is a unique occasion. In a D.C. market overlooked for the men's World Cup next summer, this event carries outsize significance. (One painful reminder: The tourism ad outside Audi Field that encouraged fans to travel to Philadelphia to get their 2026 World Cup fix.)
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