The FIFA Club World Cup this summer will be a practice run for public health officials to prepare for a larger crowd of international visitors in 2026.

The FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off Monday in Philadelphia, is being met with dampened enthusiasm nationwide as the Trump administration's immigration crackdown raises fears among fans. The big picture: The first-of-its-kind tourney spotlighting top professional teams across the globe serves as a precursor for when the U.

Philly officials celebrated the one-year mark from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Wednesday by unveiling a countdown clock in Dilworth Park.

Philadelphia will host the first of its eight matches in the FIFA Club World Cup on Monday, when Brazilian club Flamengo and Tunisian side Esperance Sportive de Tunis come to town for a group stage game. It will, as is expected, herald both excitement and controversy.

Union players inspired the next generation during a clinic hosted by the FIFA World Cup local organizing committee.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino attempts to explain the expected global impact of the 48-team 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The countdown is on. With one year to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, countdown clocks were unveiled in the 16 host cities, with things kicking off in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. That moment will make the stadium the first ever to host three opening matches in World Cup history.

A countdown clock installed outside City Hall made the point, and it will stay there until next summer. "No moment has ever been too big for this city," organizing committee chair Dan Hilfery said.