Washington Commanders rookie sensation Jayden Daniels is fresh off leading the capital-city franchise to their first NFC Championship game since 1992, but he is happy to trade American football for association football this summer.
The 25-touchdown quarterback is excited by the games and the fans the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ is bringing to the US, particularly his native state of California.
“It means a lot,” Daniels told FIFA. “We don’t really get to experience stuff [competitive matches] like that unless we go overseas to go see them play. So, everybody gets to see this and see the atmosphere and hospitality that football fans bring, so I’m excited.”
The Southern California native will get to see UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and finalists FC Internazionale Milano grace the stage in Los Angeles; meanwhile, Commanders fans will see teams from three different confederations play in the capital: Juventus FC and FC Salzburg (UEFA), Wydad AC (CAF), Al Ain FC and Al Hilal (AFC).
According to the Commanders star, the tournament will have “a lot of great games,” and be “a lot of fun.”
“It’s exciting, especially [for] me, being from Southern California,” said Daniels. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be different seeing the fanbase and the atmosphere that they bring, so I’m excited for Americans to be able to see that.”
Fans from all over the world have already taken over some of the USA’s most iconic locations. CA Boca Juniors fans gathered in their thousands on Miami Beach, beating their drums and waving their blue and yellow flags. Meanwhile, Palmeiras and Espérance fans congregated in Times Square on separate occasions.
Los Angeles can expect something similar when Argentinian giants CA River Plate take on Mexican side CF Monterrey on 21 June, and Daniels will not miss his chance to see it.
