When United and Real Madrid set an attendance record

The United States is at the centre of the football world at the moment.

FIFA’s new Club World Cup has been taking place over the pond for the last few weeks, while several Premier League clubs – including Manchester United – are set to visit soon for pre-season.

Next summer, the US will host the FIFA World Cup, alongside neighbours Canada and Mexico, with international football’s most prestigious tournament returning to America for the first time since 1994.

Football, or ‘soccer’, has experienced a huge boom in popularity in the intervening years, with the creation of MLS and high-profile moves for the likes of David Beckham and Lionel Messi ramping up the excitement.

But, in 2014, it was United who, with the help of Real Madrid, carved out a piece of American footballing history that still stands to this day.

On 2 August, the two giants of European football played an International Champions Cup match at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Nothing unusual about that, then, as both clubs have been regulars in the US in the 21st century.

What was notable was the sheer size of the crowd at ‘The Big House’ that day.

College football is huge over in America, regularly drawing in attendances dwarfing what we’re used to in the Premier League, and the University of Michigan is one of the biggest attractions of them all as home of the Michigan Wolverines – the most successful college football team in the country.

Their home stadium has an incredible official capacity of 107,601 – imagine that many people watching you play sport as a student! – and every Wolverines match since 1975 has seen a six-figure horde descend.

United, under the fresh management of Louis van Gaal, and a Galactico-packed Real attracted over 109,000 fans when we met.

The 2014 figure still stands as the record attendance at a soccer match in the States – 8,000 more than the previous landmark, set at the 1984 Olympics gold-medal match.

With no venues outside of India or North Korea able to match ‘The Big House’ for capacity, it’s a milestone that doesn’t look to be under threat any time soon.

A United side still getting used to playing with a back three under Van Gaal clinched the win against the reigning European champions.

Ashley Young scored a brace and Javier Hernandez found the net in a 3-1 victory, with Gareth Bale converting a penalty for Real.

Reds favourite Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced as a substitute for the Bernabeu side in the final 15 minutes, much to the delight of the supporters in Michigan.

And he posed for a photo with former team-mate Wayne Rooney after the final whistle – a memorable keepsake from a remarkable afternoon.

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