Times Square Turns Green: Palmeiras Fans Take Over New York
If you wandered through Times Square on the evening of June 14, 2025, you might have wondered if you’d somehow landed in São Paulo instead of Manhattan. The electric heart of New York was bursting with green as thousands of Palmeiras supporters gathered, dressed in their team's trademark color and chanting non-stop Portuguese songs. It wasn’t just a show for the cameras—this was the real deal, a grassroots celebration of loyalty and love for Brazilian football.
Palmeiras fans didn’t just pose for selfies. They completely transformed the tourist hotspot, waving enormous green flags and belting out the club’s anthems so loudly that startled New Yorkers and visitors stopped in their tracks to watch. For a moment, it felt like the city that never sleeps was pulsing to the rhythm of South American football. Video clips of these scenes rocketed across social media, drawing attention from football fans and casual observers worldwide.
The timing wasn’t random. Palmeiras was set to make their much-anticipated debut in the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, facing Portugal’s Porto at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. And the fans weren’t finished after Times Square. Their next act? Marching en masse from Midtown to the stadium, filling the streets and subway trains with nonstop singing and celebrations—a traveling party that pulled even more people into its orbit.
Brazilian Energy Ignites the Club World Cup
Palmeiras' journey in the United States showed what football culture looks like when it’s exported and turned loose on a world stage. Once at MetLife, their supporters kept the volume up, giving the players a taste of home despite being nearly 5,000 miles from Brazil. That contagious energy seemed to carry the team forward.
The group stage was no cakewalk. Palmeiras first squared off against Porto, then had to take on Egyptian giants Al-Ahly and American hopefuls Inter Miami—each game watched by green-clad seas of fans who turned every match into a celebration. They showed up everywhere. From the concrete canyons of New York to the open stands of Philadelphia’s Subaru Park, the same unforgettable chants rang out. The fans stayed creative, coming up with banners, face paint, and even makeshift drums that shook the stadium walls.
One of the most tense moments came in Philly with a showdown against fellow Brazilians Botafogo. The game looked headed for a boring finish, but midfielder Paulino snatched glory in the 100th minute, sending fans into a frenzy that echoed across the city. With that win, Palmeiras booked a spot in the Club World Cup quarterfinals, set to face a seasoned opponent (either Chelsea or Benfica).
The U.S. crowd couldn’t ignore this tidal wave of samba-fueled passion. Even local fans began learning the chants and waving green scarves. Palmeiras' Club World Cup campaign became about more than results; it showed just how far-coast loyal supporters would go for their team. And no matter the outcome, Times Square’s wild transformation was already cemented as one of the year’s most memorable sporting moments—a reminder that football’s real power lies in its people, not just its trophies.
