A Dream Come True: Bayern Munich Plays in Miami
On June 29, I had the great privilege of going to watch my favorite fútbol team play in person at the Hard Rock Stadium. They go by the name Bayern Munich and are known as one of the greatest European teams in the World. They play in the highest German league division called the Bundesliga and have a higher winning record than any other team in the league.
I first found out about them when I was eight years old. There was something about the team that caught my attention; the fiery passion each player had was what made me fall more in love with the sport. Since then, I have always wanted to go watch them personally, but I never had the opportunity. That is, until they came here to Miami to participate in a tournament called the Club World Cup.
The Club World Cup is an international tournament held by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) where all the best teams from different countries go against each other.
The tournament was first held in 2000 as the FIFA Club World Championship; however, it wasn’t continued until 2005 due to their marketing partner, which was International Sport and Leisure, collapsing. It was an annual tournament until 2023, when they decided to change it into a quadrennial event beginning in 2025.
This year, they held the tournament across the U.S., and luckily, Bayern came to play one of their matches in Miami. I couldn’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the team I grew up watching in person, so I decided to go with my older sister.
It was Round 16, and they were going against a strong Brazilian team called Flamengo. I was excited to watch the game since I knew it was going to be extremely competitive. One thing that caught my attention from the beginning was the atmosphere from the Flamengo fans. They were all chanting their catchphrases during the entire game. It was captivating to see how devoted these fans are to their team.
In the first 45 minutes of the game, Bayern was in the lead with one goal ahead. When they scored, I had never shouted that much in my life. I was jumping in joy seeing that my team was now close to moving on to the next round. I was up from my seat the entire time because of how intense the game was.
One thing that also amazes me is the techniques each player uses; it’s like seeing magic being performed in front of your eyes. And the chemistry the team has is beyond astonishing. The way they communicate with each other and how precise they are with their decisions is incredible; it is something that I have never seen before.
Eventually, the game came to an end, and fortunately, Bayern won with a result of 4-2. Overall, it was a life-changing experience. I was finally able to see my team play after yearning for so long. It is definitely different from watching them through a screen since you’re able to capture even the smallest details. I will always be grateful for getting the chance to watch them; it is something I will carry for the rest of my life.
