PHILADELPHIA — The Club World Cup brings a certain level of excitement for soccer fans. But some are feeling uneasy about the level of security at match venues.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents doubling as security for major sporting events isn’t uncommon. But ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicked off Saturday in Miami, that notion, especially after it was confirmed that ICE officials will be present at Hard Rock Stadium, has brought about anxiety for some matchgoers, especially those who support clubs from non-European nations.

Lincoln Financial Field is the site for many of these matches, starting Monday, when Brazil’s Flamengo takes on Tunisian side Espérance (9 p.m., DAZN, tickets).

The Trump administration’s immigration policies, which have led to nationwide protests that are expected to continue, serve as a backdrop to the start of this event, where international fans take center stage.

Flamengo’s arrival on the East Coast initially brought excitement for one Brazil fan, said that “it’s going to be a dream to watch” Flamengo play live. However, he admitted that the dream has turned into trepidation, given that ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents are lurking.

Because of this, instead of flying from his local airport in Asheville, N.C., a mere 1-hour, 50-minute flight, he said he plans to split the cost of a rental car and make the nearly 10-hour drive to Philly.

“You’re hearing reports of people getting stopped in schools, at work, coming out of stores,” he said earlier this week under the condition of anonymity. “What’s to say they are camped out in airports doing random services or in train stations stopping people? I can’t pause my life because of what’s going on, but it’s a real fear. I don’t think I’m being paranoid.”

His request for anonymity stems from the 38-year-old’s concerns around an extended work visa that is set to expire later this summer. In his role as a skilled laborer, he said he had applied for permanent citizenship status with the help of his employer in January, after having arrived in the States in November 2023. However, applying for American citizenship can take anywhere from six to nine months, at minimum.

“The only reason why I’m OK with going to Philadelphia is because I know the city is more resistant to this level of enforcement,” he said. “But I know it’s not 100 percent safe. These [ICE agents] don’t respond to reason. They don’t care about what you’re doing or in the process of doing. It’s all black and white with them, and I’m uncomfortable with that.”

It’s been a concern for many fans and possibly one of the reasons FIFA has seen a decline in ticket sales for the tournament.

Despite several promotions, one that even guaranteed early access to single-game tickets to the larger World Cup next summer, ticket prices for several matches in the 32-team tournament have fallen rapidly in efforts to boost last-minute sales.

At their initial offering in December, the cheapest tickets for the opening match at the Linc hovered around $85 per seat. As of Friday afternoon, tickets were as low as $29.34.

So why make the trip? He’d like to believe there’s safety in numbers.

‘You’re in the stew’

Flamengo isn’t just one of the biggest clubs in Brazil; it’s one of the most well-known clubs in South America. With that comes one of the largest contingents of traveling supporters, complete with fan club chapters, or “consulates,” as they prefer to be called, around the world.

In the U.S. alone, Flamengo has fan consulates in more than 10 cities spread out by region, with many expected to converge on Lincoln Financial Field for two Group D matches next week. However, there are reports that Flamengo fans already are canceling watch parties for fear of ICE raids at the event.

Flamengo fans travel well and are boisterous in their support. This year should be one to watch, as the team enters as a favorite for a deep run, with some pundits even suggesting that the Brazilian club could win it all.

It’s been that unwavering support for the club that hooked Myron McClees, a Richmond Va., resident who plans to be at the Linc on Monday and possibly Friday for the team’s second group match, against English Premier League giant Chelsea. His love affair with the club and its fan base started during a trip to Rio de Janeiro in 2006.

“When you go to Brazil, it’s like you’re kind of in the stew,” McClees said. “You’re just surrounded by all these Flamengo fans constantly. And then I went to a match, and it was amazing, absolutely amazing. The people absolutely love it, and it’s just the warmth of the people, they kind of make it addictive.”

McClees, who said he’s been to Rio three times since his initial visit, is excited for the game but noted that he’s more excited to see if the fervor felt while in Rio will be replicated during Flamengo’s Club World Cup run at the Linc.

“The energy of [Flamengo’s] stadium is indescribable,” McClees said of the Maracanã. “If we can get just a fifth of that in that stadium for the two matches that are [in Philadelphia], that would be amazing.

“I’m not from Philadelphia, but I’m an American. And so I want to return the favor, right? The favor that [those fans] did for me, as far as making me feel welcomed, making me feel like I was a part of something, even though I was brand-spanking new [in their country]. These fans deserve to have it feel like home here; they deserve that experience.”

But that excitement comes with a warning from the U.S. government.

“Everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event. We’ll have visitors probably from close to 100 countries,” Vice President JD Vance said in reference to the Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup coming to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. He was speaking at a White House press event alongside President Donald Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in early May.

“We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game, but when the time is up, they’ll have to go home — otherwise they’ll have to talk to Secretary Noem.”

Noem has been instrumental in authorizing ICE agents to deport people to detention centers, the most infamous of which is known as CECOT, the sprawling prison currently holding U.S. detainees in El Salvador.

“So if a fan comes here for the games and overstays for a week or two and is caught on a beach or vacationing somewhere, they’re going to be sent to some jail in God knows where?” asked the traveling fan from North Carolina. “It’s like, ‘Give us your money, and then get the [expletive] out.’ How is that welcoming? They want you to be paranoid; that’s the reality for so many people.”

Requests for comment from Brazilian consulates in Boston, Los Angeles and New York — the latter with jurisdiction over Philadelphia, and all three cities with passionate Flamengo fan clubs — were not returned in time for this report.

Impact on the game

Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi hopes fans will enjoy the tournament, as, despite the fears, he anticipated a significant turnout of support for his club.

“The U.S. just had a Copa América, and now they’re hosting the Club World Cup and the World Cup next year,” Rossi said during a virtual interview with media earlier this month. “I think it’ll be a tremendous event. Hopefully, not only for fans everywhere [who] are going to go and travel to see these games, but also for local fans who will have these great stars so close by, and available to them.”

While soccer has grown exponentially in America over the last few decades, many believe next year’s FIFA World Cup could be transformational for the sport. Much like it was in the aftermath of the men’s edition in 1994 and again for the women’s tournament in 1999, with domestic leagues spawning after both tournaments, there’s no telling what this go-around could do, say devout fans like McClees.

“I want soccer to take off here in the United States,” he said. “It’s been growing hand over fist … [and is] really getting a foothold here in the United States. I don’t know if this tournament’s the one to do it, but I think when we host the World Cup, it’s really going to push soccer over the edge.

“All these teams from all over the world are coming here. You get to see their brand of football and how they play with each other. On a day-to-day basis, I think that that would blow people’s minds to see countries play with each other … and what it looks like when they play their game.”

McClees remains optimistic. But it’s hard for the fan traveling to see it live in Philly next week to share those sentiments.

“When they held the World Cup in Qatar [in 2022] and in Russia before that, there were special visas for those World Cups,” he said, alluding to Qatar’s Hayya Card, which served as a visa and fan ID. “To my knowledge, that hasn’t even been considered yet for games in the U.S. It took me almost a year to get approved for my [work] visa, and I’m coming from Brazil.

“I just want to watch a football match without wondering if I’ll get to return home after it. That’s a real problem.”

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