WATCH: Club America receive overwhelming fan welcome in Los Angeles ahead of crucial FIFA Club World Cup playoff

The Mexican giants arrived to a hero's welcome in Los Angeles as thousands of passionate supporters gathered to greet the team

Fans lined streets for hours awaiting team bus arrival outside downtown Los Angeles hotel
Club America's signature yellow jerseys created sea of color across multiple locations
Players shocked at turnout scale despite playing away from Estadio Azteca

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WHAT HAPPENED
Club America's arrival in Los Angeles for their decisive FIFA Club World Cup playoff match against LAFC triggered scenes rarely witnessed for visiting teams in American soccer. Thousands of passionate supporters, predominantly from Southern California's substantial Mexican-American community, created a spectacular reception across multiple locations in the city. The team's bus route from LAX to their downtown hotel resembled a victory parade rather than a pre-match arrival, with fans lining streets waving flags, setting off yellow smoke bombs, and chanting club anthems.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The passionate reception for Club America reflects the complex soccer culture in cities like Los Angeles, where allegiances to Mexican clubs can sometimes outweigh support for domestic teams. This cultural phenomenon persists despite MLS's growth and LAFC's recent success, including their 2022 MLS Cup victory. The scenes also emphasize the high stakes of this particular playoff, with the winner securing a place among the world's elite clubs in the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.

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WHAT’S NEXT?
The one-off playoff match at BMO Stadium will determine which club advances to the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, joining elite teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich in the prestigious tournament.

WHAT HAPPENED