Fans don't appear to be snatching up tickets to the Club World Cup
If slashed ticket prices, closed stadium sections and moved seats are any indication, fans aren't exactly clamoring to attend the Club World Cup.
The tournament opens Saturday with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami facing Al Ahly at Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. Thirty-two teams are taking part in the newly expanded tournament that will be played across 11 U.S. cities. The final is set for July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
On Ticketmaster, FIFA's official ticketing partner for the Club World Cup, the least expensive tickets to the opener were $349 in December. As of Thursday, there were tickets available for just under $80.
Upper deck seats for certain games at Seattle's Lumen Field and Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field were no longer available. Links to a smattering of resale tickets in those sections did not work.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press that some sections of Lumen Field in Seattle had been closed, but did not offer details. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak on the record.
In Philadelphia, some ticketholders received messages that said they were moved.
'As we continue preparations to deliver a world-class event, we are making a few enhancements inside the stadium to optimize operations and ensure the best possible matchday experience for fans, players and the global broadcast audience,' the message said. 'As a result of these stadium optimizations, some seats, including yours, will be relocated. We want to ensure you that your new seat will be in the same or better value zone than your original one.'
Ticketmaster used dynamic pricing for ticket sales, which is based on demand and other factors. They referred all questions about sales to FIFA.
FIFA did not respond to questions about whether sections were closed due to slow ticket sales, or whether fans who originally bought tickets in those sections were moved or offered refunds.
But soccer's international governing body did offer a general statement.
'We anticipate great attendances and electric atmospheres at its inaugural edition, with excitement growing with every round of matches and the tournament ultimately standing as the undisputed pinnacle of club world football,' the statement said in part. 'The appetite speaks for itself: fans from over 130 countries have already purchased tickets. The top 10 markets are led by the United States, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal — a clear sign of global anticipation and reach.'
With 32 international teams, there are undoubtedly some clubs that are unfamiliar to American audiences. There are also 63 total matches, meaning not all can occur in prime hours for fans.
Argentine club River Plate is playing Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on Tuesday at noon local time ($24 tickets), while a noon game between Brazil's Fluminense and Germany's Borussia Dortmund had tickets available via Ticketmaster for $23.
However, some matches were drawing fans, including Paris Saint-Germain's opener against Atletico Madrid on Sunday at the Rose Bowl, where the least expensive seats were $100.
The least expensive ticket for July's tournament final available through Ticketmaster was $769.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged fans to buy tickets at a hype event in the leadup to the tournament this week.
'Be part of history,' he said. 'Football is such an important sport all over the world. We have billions of people watching this Club World Cup from home who would love to club and to attend.'
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
13 minutes ago
- Forbes
Watch Inside The Forbes Top Creators List & How To Build Your Empire
The New Industrial Identity: The Power Of Digitalization And Automation In America | Paid Program
Forbes
13 minutes ago
- Forbes
The 20 Richest Places In Indiana, New Census Data Shows
Many of the top wealthiest cities in Indiana lie in the radius of suburbs around Indianapolis. Where other states in the Midwest have struggled with population decline, Indiana has held strong. Back in 2000, the population of Indiana was a little over a million. By 2024, the population had grown by 14%, reaching 6.92 million. As part of an ongoing series of analyses, states have been examined using the latest Census Bureau data to determine which the richest cities in the state are. For this study, the focus is Indiana. This study analyzed 976 cities — what the Census Bureau designates as 'places' — in Indiana that had complete data from the Census Bureau, in terms of their median household income, mean (average) household income, median home value, and median property taxes paid per year, to come up with a list of the 25 richest cities in the state. Read on to find out what the richest city in Indiana is, plus the top 20 wealthiest cities in the state overall. In order to compile this list of the richest cities in Indiana, we sourced key financial data from the Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey. Wielding these datasets, we put together a four-factor scoring system to help identify the wealthiest cities in Indiana: When analyzing the data, it is important to note that Census figures have upper limits, so there's no exact value for certain factors. For example, for median household income, the Census Bureau has an upper limit of '$250,000+'. For median home value, the upper limit is '$2,000,000+'. For median property taxes paid, the upper limit is '$10,000+'. For these reasons, the mean household income (which is the same as average household income) dataset is particularly useful. Since the Census Bureau has exact figures for it, it's an even more precise barometer of wealth. All four of these metrics were scored, added up, and then ranked by the cities' combined scores. Another aspect of the Census to point out is the Census-designated place — CDP. The Census, more or less, treats CDPs as cities — their terminology is 'place' — and so will this list of the richest cities in Indiana. So, if you see cities on this list that you see as neighborhoods or retirement communities, you're not wrong. These places happen to be treated as cities by the Census Bureau. Below, you'll find a table detailing the top 20 richest cities in Indiana and their respective dollar figures for each metric, below: The No. 1 richest city in Indiana in our ranking is Crows Nest, a town within Washington Township, due north of Indianapolis. Crows Nest is a small place, with only 28 households. This town has an occupational mix that's common to many suburbs. According to Data USA, the top three industries by employment are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (39.5% of the workforce), Accommodation & Food Services (18.4% of the workforce), and Health Care & Social Assistance (13.2% of the workforce). Incomes in Crows Nest are very high. The median household income here is $245,000, around triple the state median of $81,702. The average household income is even higher, at $744,021. The median home value exceeds $2 million. And property taxes are so high, the median amount paid per household is over $10,000. The No. 2 richest place is just north of the No. 1 city, and it's name is North Crows Nest, appropriately. They are almost exactly the same size, with North Crows Nest having 27 households to Crows Nest's 28 households. The median household income in North Crows Nest is above $250,000. Its average household income isn't as high as in Crows Nest: $546,926 in North Crows Nest versus $744,021 for Crows Nest. The median home value reported by the Census is well over $1.5 million. And just like in Crows Nest, the median property taxes by household is in excess of $10,000. The third richest place in Indiana is Williams Creek. This place is also due north of Indianapolis and lies in the same township, Washington Township. This town is larger than No. 1 and No. 2, being home to 164 households. The employment breakdown is comparable to Crows Nest. The top three industries include Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (24.2% of the workforce), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2% of the workforce), and Retail Trade (11.1% of the workforce). The median household income in Williams Creek is $218,750, while the mean household income is $372,541. Property taxes are also substantial here, costing households a median of over $10,000 per year. The median home value is reported as $1.212 million.
Washington Post
15 minutes ago
- Washington Post
How hard is this U.S. Open? Hard enough to fluster Scottie Scheffler.
OAKMONT, Pa. — Coming off a big birdie, Scottie Scheffler stepped onto the third tee box — his 12th hole of the day — looking to right his round and reclaim his role as U.S. Open favorite. He let loose with the driver but knew immediately the shot was way off target.
