Naysayers who thought American fans would quickly lose interest in soccer after the World Cup were wrong.
A friendly match between Manchester United and Real Madrid in Ann Arbor, Michigan, set a new record for U.S. attendance at a soccer match Saturday, according to multiple reports.
A sold-out crowd of 109,318 filled Michigan Stadium on Saturday, according to estimates, shattering the previous record of 101,799 set during a 1984 Olympic match between Brazil and France.
The turnout for the match between two of Europe's biggest soccer clubs underscores soccer's growing popularity in the U.S. Fans paid anywhere between $45 and $189 for tickets to the preseason match, Yahoo Sports reported.
Manchester United beat out Real Madrid in a 3-1 victory, but the highlight for many fans in attendance was when Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo made an unexpected appearance during the match's second half. Ronaldo is still recovering from a KNEE INJURY
that slowed him down during the World Cup earlier this year in Brazil, and was not expected to play, local news outlet MLive reported.
that slowed him down during the World Cup earlier this year in Brazil, and was not expected to play, local news outlet MLive reported.
Although Saturday's game set a new attendance record for a U.S. soccer match, it did not beat Michigan Stadium's record for highest-ever attendance; that record stands at 115,109, set last year during a college FOOTBALL game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
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