The elite sports clubs in this world are very different from those in Lincoln's original world.
None of the world-class soccer stars that Lincoln is so familiar with exist here.
It isn't to say that there aren't any world-class stars here—they do exist, just that they are a different group of people. Lincoln wouldn't recognize any of them even if they were standing right in front of him.
However, the clubs are more recognizable because many elite clubs are rooted in the cities where they were born. They derive their sustenance from the city's development and the culture of its citizens. Gradually growing over time, their names naturally bear a profound city's character, making many team names highly similar, or even identical to those remembered by Lincoln.
Lincoln took a quick glance and saw familiar names like "Madrid", "Milan", "Munich", "Liverpool", "Chelsea".