FIFA has reportedly slashed ticket prices for the opening match of the revamped 2025 Club World Cup, with thousands of seats still unsold just days before kickoff.
The June 14 curtain-raiser, hosted by Inter Miami and featuring global icon Lionel Messi against African giants Al Ahly, will be held at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. However, despite Messi’s star power, demand for tickets has fallen far short of expectations.
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According to The Athletic, the cheapest tickets initially listed after the Club World Cup draw in December were priced at $349. That figure dropped to $230 a month later, then to around $110, and has now plunged to a new low of $55 on Ticketmaster.
The dramatic price cuts underscore concerns about attendance for the opening game of a tournament FIFA hopes will become a global showpiece.
Despite reports suggesting fewer than 20,000 tickets have been sold, FIFA denied that figure and insisted that actual sales are “much higher,” though they declined to share specifics.
“We are introducing many new, successful clubs from all over the world through this tournament being staged in 11 cities across the United States.
Overall, we anticipate great attendance throughout the competition for this first-ever edition, a tournament that we believe will grow from edition to edition,” a FIFA statement reads.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will feature 32 teams for the first time, significantly expanding from the previous seven-team format.
Major clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, PSG, Inter Milan, and MLS sides like Inter Miami, LAFC, and Seattle Sounders, will take part.
The 2025 Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13.