With just days to go before kickoff, FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup is struggling to generate local buzz. According to The Athletic, “tens of thousands” of seats remain unsold for the June 14 opening match between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium — a 65,000-seat venue in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Despite the draw of an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and the debut of the tournament’s new 32-team format, advance sales have been underwhelming. Ticket prices, once as high as $349 after the December group draw, have now dropped to as low as $55 on Ticketmaster, a sharp correction aimed at filling visible gaps in the stands.
FIFA, however, pushed back on reports that fewer than 20,000 tickets had been sold for the opener. In a statement, the world soccer’s governing body said the figure is “much higher” but declined to disclose specific numbers.
“We are introducing many new, successful clubs from all over the world to the world through this tournament being staged in the 11 cities across the United States,” FIFA said. “Overall, we anticipate great attendances throughout the competition for this first-ever edition — a tournament that we believe will grow edition-on-edition.”
But Miami is not alone in its struggles. Tickets for other early-round matches have also plummeted. The lowest price currently available is for Salzburg vs. Pachuca in Cincinnati on June 15 — just $14. The River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds game in Seattle on June 17, scheduled for a 3 p.m. kickoff, starts at $24.
A matchup between Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil’s Botafogo at the 90,000-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena is listed at $33, while matches like Benfica vs. Auckland (Orlando), Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly (New Jersey), Ulsan vs. Mamelodi Sundowns (Orlando), and Mamelodi vs. Fluminense (Miami) are all being marketed in the $26–$40 range.
The Club World Cup, running through July 13, will feature three Major League Soccer sides — Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders, and Los Angeles FC — alongside European giants such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Boca Juniors, and Atlético de Madrid. Representing Italy are this year’s Champions League finalists Inter Milan and Juventus, under the guidance of head coach Igor Tudor.
