This was the first time Real Madrid played in Charlotte, but the team has an official fan club here, Peña Madridista of Charlotte.
Luis Minuche, the club's president, was outside Charlotte FC’s training facility on Sunday, getting ready to catch a glimpse of some of the team’s superstars as they trained. The fan club has about 120 members, most of them originally from countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
“Oh my god, this is a dream come true,” Minuche said. "We’ve been dreaming about this situation. The club always travels to different cities, and finally, they’re here in Charlotte, North Carolina, for us.”
Minuche has supported the Spanish club for 30 years; it will be his first time watching them play.
Charlotte has hosted several friendly matches between European soccer clubs over the last decade. On Tuesday, two of Europe’s top clubs took to the pitch.
Real Madrid is regarded as one of the best soccer clubs in the world. Their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, spoke to reporters ahead of the game.
“We have a lot of supporters here in the United States, and we are happy to be there with them and to show the football we are used to playing in Europe, also here in the United States,” Ancelotti said.
Chelsea FC is a notable opponent. They’re six-time English Premier League champions.
The match drew an international set of fans from around the country, eager to see their teams play up close.
A few hours before the game, Chelsea and Real Madrid fans gathered in a fan zone outside of Bank of America Stadium. They mingled and took pictures with mascots.
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Ryan Mwangi is originally from Kenya. He flew in from Minnesota, where he’s a student. He said this trip is a lot easier than trying to make it to Chelsea’s stadium in London.
“We don’t get to go watch Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge every weekend, but it’s super cool seeing them here,” Mwangi said. “It gives us an opportunity to see them play and see some of the players, so it’s super exciting.”
Briana Elmore, 20, came to the game with her mother in their blue Chelsea jerseys. They’re from New York and travel to watch Chelsea play whenever they’re in the country.
Beside them, fans wore jerseys of various teams, including the Mexican and Spanish national teams.
“We were just in line and we met someone who said he’s from Switzerland and goes to the games in London all the time,” Elmore said. “I just like meeting new people and experiencing it with new people because their energy is great.”
In the opening minutes, fans were on the edge of their seats while others stood, eyes locked on the ball as it zipped across the field. There was a lot of energy in the stadium, even more than during a typical Charlotte FC game. Fans continuously cheered and waved club banners in the air.
Both teams had early opportunities to take the lead before Real Madrid broke the deadlock.
The game is part of the Soccer Champions Tour. The U.S. tour featured several top European clubs this summer, including Manchester City, Barcelona and AC Milan, in New York, Orlando and Baltimore.
Joe Carr, the tour commissioner, said they decided to host the tour’s final game in Charlotte because North Carolina has a massive soccer fan base.
“I think the U.S. sports fan is spoiled because we have the NFL and the NBA at the top of the pyramid. I think with European football, club football, being the top of the pyramid in soccer, it’s important for those athletes and teams to come over here,” Carr said.
Kieran Gore, 25, is used to seeing top European soccer athletes. He’s a Chelsea fan from Essex, just outside London, but now lives in Charlotte after studying here.
“The buzz around the stadium and the buzz around the city is great! They need to do it more often. They need to keep bringing these games to Bank of America [Stadium],” Gore said. “They do have a huge fan base now with Charlotte FC, so I think it’s a great thing, and soccer is going to grow continuously.”
The game ended with Real Madrid winning 2-1. Fans from all over the country left pumped to see Europe’s best players on U.S. soil.
