FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history
FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history
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Why Real Madrid is heavy favorite to win FIFA Club World Cup
Safid Deen and Seth Vertelney explain why Real Madrid look like a safe bet to hoist the FIFA Club World Cup trophy when all is said and done.
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CORAL GABLES, FL — FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the Club World Cup opener with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egpytian side Al Ahly at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, June 14 will be 'full' and 'packed' with fans.
Infantino didn't quite say sell out. But he's taking news of slow ticket sales in stride.
Although ticket sales have not met FIFA's expectations in the final week before the new tournament begins, Infantino thinks soccer fans in the United States should take advantage of the opportunity to watch 32 of the best soccer club teams in the world in the 11 cities where matches will be played this summer.
'I think this is the important element that people have to really capture now – be part of history,' Infantino said during a Club World Cup event at FIFA's headquarters near Miami on May 10.
'Football is such an important sport all over the world. We'll have billions of people watching this Club World Cup from home, who would love to come and to attend. And we'll have millions who are here, and who will be able to be part of this very first FIFA Club World Cup, which will enter into history. So, I think it's great.'
Some Club World Cup ticket prices have been lowered significantly thanks to dynamic pricing – a mechanism used to lower or raise ticket prices based on demand. The cheapest tickets to half of the Club World Cup group stage matches (24 of 48) are under $36 all-in with fees before taxes.
FIFA has a $2 billion revenue target it expects to generate from the Club World Cup – which includes $1 billion already paid by DAZN to live stream all 63 matches for free on their website and app, and another $500 million in marketing rights. The other $500 million will come from hospitality rights and ticket sales.
Along with the $1 billion prize pool that will be paid by FIFA and divided among the 32 Club World Cup teams, FIFA is targeting to make $250 million in solidarity payments to other clubs and leagues around the world to further the game. FIFA also plans to pay each host city $1 million to support community soccer projects in the future.
When FIFA announced its unprecedented prize pool for the Club World Cup in March, it also said it will not retain any profits from the tournament.
While previous editions of the Club World Cup predominantly featured seven teams, FIFA hopes the expanded 2025 Club World Cup sets a new standard for club soccer globally and can become a tournament held every four years one year before World Cups.
'As for every new venture that anyone tries to create in the world, there are always discussions that you never really know what will happen. … For us, the important element is to fill the stadiums, to give opportunities to people to come,' Infantino said.
'We were lucky enough – and this is also something that we did not expect in that measure – that we got great attention from sponsors and brokers broadcasters so that when it comes to revenues, everything is perfectly secured.'
The Club World Cup will host matches in Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C. The final is July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Wednesday marks one year until the next World Cup begins on June 11, 2026. That event will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
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