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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Club World Cup Opening Ceremony at Hard Rock Stadium will have Latin flair
The Club World Cup Opening Ceremony will feature multicultural Miami flair preceding the June 14 opening match between Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami and Egyptian team Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium. Produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, which worked on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and legendary Miami producer Emilio Estefan, the ceremony will include a musical performance by Miami-based Latin pop/EDM singer and dancer Vikina and Richaelio. 'This act will celebrate a multicultural sound from around the world, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and rhythms that soccer brings together,' said Estefan. 'We're welcoming the world to Miami with music, joy and unity.' 'To perform at the opening ceremony of the FIFA Club World Cup, right here in my home town, is a dream come true,' said Vikina, who is of Cuban-Ecuadorean heritage. 'We're turning up the volume and bringing that Miami rhythm to the world, just as this incredible mix of football cultures and passion is about to be felt across the country and around the globe.' Other performers in the show will include Moroccan-American rapper French Montana and American rapper Swae Lee. There will also be dancers, drummers, a choir and a tribute to the 32 participating teams. 'Man, this is big – the FIFA Club World Cup opening ceremony! I can't wait to bring that real energy, connect with all the fans and celebrate what soccer and music can do when they come together,' said Montana. 'This isn't just a show, it's a whole vibe. Soccer, music, culture – we're bringing it all, making sure the world feels the heat from the United States and beyond,' added Lee. The month-long tournament features some of the most famous clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, and will be played in 11 cities across the United States. Hard Rock Stadium will host the following eight matches: June 14, 8 p.m.: Inter Miami (USA) vs. Al Ahly (Egypt) June 16, 6 p.m.: Boca Juniors (Argentina) vs. Benfica (Portugal) June 18, 3 p.m.: Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) June 20, 9 p.m.: Bayern Munich (Germany) vs. Boca Juniors (Argentina) June 23, 9 p.m.: Inter Miami (USA) vs. Palmeiras (Brazil) June 25: 3 p.m.: Fluminense (Brazil) vs. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) June 29, 6 p.m. Round of 16 match 1D vs. 2C (Chelsea is in Group D) July 1, 3 p.m.: Round of 16 match 1H vs. 2G (Real Madrid is in Group H) Tickets are available at and secondary online ticket marketplaces. Ticket-inclusive hospitality packages can be purchased at All tournament matches will be livestreamed for free on
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
FIFA lowers prices for Club World Cup opener as projected attendance looks weak
FIFA officials have lowered ticket prices for the Club World Cup's opening match — a contest between Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami and Al Ahly FC — over concerns that potentially scores of empty seats could overshadow the game. Tens of thousands of seats have yet to be sold to the game, according to The Athletic, which is set to take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 14 and would be the first official match of the 32-team tournament being held across the United States. Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Dolphins, has a capacity of 65,326, and The Athletic reported that fewer than 20,000 tickets may have been sold for the match between the MLS side and the Egyptian club, though FIFA pushed back on that number in a statement. Advertisement Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (right) eyes the ball during the Inter Miami's win over the Columbus Crew on May 31, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Still, sources informed The Athletic that soccer's governing body grew concerned over ticket sales not doing as well as expected in recent weeks. The Club World Cup will feature teams from the top leagues across the globe, including powerhouses Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Advertisement FIFA has been selling tickets for the Club World Cup using a dynamic pricing model, which means prices can spike or drop based on demand. The cheapest ticket for the Inter Miami Match against Al Ahly was just $55.75 on Ticketmaster when The Post searched late Wednesday night. Those tickets were listed at $230 in January, according to The Athletic. But prices for games involving other teams have gone the opposite way, such as matches involving Real Madrid, where ticket prices are in the hundreds of dollars. Advertisement Hussein El Shahat celebrates with Wessam Abou Ali after scoring the fifth goal during Al Ahly FC 6-0 blowout win over Pharco FC in the last of the final stage of the Egyptian Premier League (Nile League) on May 28, 2025. Middle East Images/AFP via Getty '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. Overall, we anticipate great attendances throughout the competition for this first-ever edition — a tournament that we believe will grow edition-on-edition,' FIFFA told the outlet in a statement. FIFA announced the training sites for all 32 teams in the tournament, which included four sites in New Jersey that would be utilized by African club Al Ahly FC, Brazilian side CR Flamengo, Portuguese club FC Porto and Red Bull Salzburg. Rutgers University's Piscataway campus and the New York Red Bulls' training facility in Whippany, New Jersey, will be among the places hosting teams.
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Messi and Co's Kerala visit turning into messy affair
KOCHI: Off-again, on-again! The proposed visit of the Lionel Messi-led Argentina football team to Kerala is turning into a messy affair. Despite the state government's announcement last year -- and later silence -- that the world champions would play multiple friendlies in Kerala, the plan is now shrouded in uncertainty. And, the government, organisers and sponsors are now contradicting each other. Earlier in the month, after Argentina's international friendly schedule was published, which did not mention India, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman shifted the onus on sponsors, claiming he had nothing to say. TNIE had reported that the inability to mobilise funds for appearance fee -- amounting to Rs 70 crore -- has cast doubts on the team's Kerala leg of friendlies. On Saturday, the matter took another strange turn with the minister making contradictory statements -- initially saying that Messi & Co would skip the India visit, only to later claim that all was well and the team would play matches in Thiruvananthapuram. Abdurahiman went on to reassure the media that there is no cause for concern, stating that necessary steps are being taken. 'The government has done its part. The sponsors have informed us that they will make the payment. Although there has been a delay, there is no confusion or uncertainty,' he added.
Fox Sports
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
LAFC, Inter Miami among 5 MLS teams worth $1B in soccer's global Top 50
On the field, Major League Soccer teams are still some distance away from standing toe-to-toe with their counterparts in the English Premier League and other elite European circuits. Off of it, MLS franchise values are already world-class. Sports business industry news outlet Sportico on Wednesday published its latest annual ranking of the Top 50 most valuable clubs in global soccer. MLS has 19 representatives on the list. Meantime, the Premier League accounts for just 14 spots. What gives? First, European teams dominate the top third of the ranking. Real Madrid leapfrogged Manchester United into the top spot in 2025 by becoming the first soccer club to generate more than $1 billion in revenue. Sportico values the Spanish titan at $6.53B, ahead of Man United's $6.09B. Barcelona (5.71B) is third. The first 15 places are occupied by clubs from Spain, England, France, Italy and Germany. Things get interesting after that. LAFC is 16th, with a valuation of $1.28B. Fellow MLS teams round out the rest of the top 20. All are worth a cool 10 figures: Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami sits No. 17 at $1.3B, followed by the LA Galaxy ($1.11B), Atlanta United ($1.08B), and New York City FC ($1B). NYCFC, appearing on the list for the first time since the ranking began in 2023, brought in just $79 million last year. The team right behind them at No. 21, Premier League side West Ham United, earned more than four times as much money last year. But the Hammers' expenses are far higher. "MLS can't match the revenue of top European clubs, but it has the advantage on cost controls, modern stadiums and a single-entity structure that fosters ownership collaboration," Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen wrote. "The lack of relegation also sets a floor for MLS values that has risen dramatically over the past decade." Relegation — demotion to a lower division because of poor performance on the pitch — is a huge financial threat to mid-major European clubs, who rely on top-flight leagues' colossal media rights deals to pay elite players' ever-rising salaries. Drop down a level, and most of that income evaporates, creating a potentially ruinous financial crisis. The risk is significant. Premier League sides Newcastle United and Aston Villa, the 22nd and 24th most valuable clubs in the world on this year's list, have both been relegated to England's second tier within the last decade. MLS franchises also benefit from a salary cap that, with a few exceptions, applies to all but up to three high-earning, cap-exempt "Designated Players" per team, helping keep costs down compared to their rivals overseas. Most of the rest of planet futbol has few restrictions outside of FIFA's financial fair play rules, which attempt to force teams not to spend more money than they generate. Those have proven mostly toothless, though; Sportico notes that Man United has operated in the red for six straight years, and that five of the top 15 teams on this year's list had an operating loss of more than $60 million over the past two seasons. "The absence of effective cost controls on player salaries significantly undermines the financial sustainability of these clubs," Alexander Jarvis, whose consulting firm specializes in soccer club acquisitions, told the outlet. Despite the immense global popularity of some of their brands, "it's rare to see a profitable club at the top level in either Spain or England," he said. That's one reason why soccer teams' valuations lag far behind those in American sports leagues, particularly the NFL and NBA. "The lousy economic model [in Europe] explains why Real Madrid and Manchester United are the only soccer teams ranked in the top 20 of the world's most valuable sports franchises, which skews heavily toward the NFL with its strict salary cap and $400-million-a-year TV checks," Badenhausen wrote. "The top 100 franchises feature all 32 NFL teams and all 30 NBA teams, but just 10 soccer clubs." The full ranking is below, with MLS teams bolded. Sportico's methodology can be found here. Real Madrid (Spain) $6.53B Manchester United (England) $6.09B Barcelona (Spain) $5.71B Liverpool (England) $5.59B Bayern Munich (Germany) $5.21B Manchester City (England) $5.16B Arsenal (England) $4.49B Paris Saint-Germain (France) $4.26B Tottenham (England) $3.68B Chelsea (England) $3.57B Atlético Madrid (Spain) $1.85B Borussia Dortmund (Germany) $1.83B Juventus (Italy) $1.81B AC Milan (Italy) $1.34B Inter Milan (Italy) $1.3B Los Angeles FC (MLS) $1.28B Inter Miami (MLS) $1.19B LA Galaxy (MLS) $1.11B Atlanta United (MLS) $1.08B New York City FC (MLS) $1B West Ham United (England) $940M Newcastle United (England) $930M Austin FC (MLS) $865M Aston Villa (England) $850M Seattle Sounders (MLS) $825M Everton (England) $825M Napoli (Italy) $775M Club América (Mexico) $770M Lyon (France) $750M AS Roma (Italy) $750M Brighton (England) $745M Guadalajara (Mexico) $730M Columbus Crew (MLS) $730M Toronto FC (MLS) $725M FC Cincinnati (MLS) $725M D.C. United (MLS) $720M Portland Timbers (MLS) $720M Ajax (Netherlands) $710M Charlotte FC (MLS) $705M Philadelphia Union (MLS) $700M Benfica (Portugal) $675M St. Louis City (MLS) $655M Minnesota United (MLS) $655M Sporting Kansas City (MLS) $650M New York Red Bulls (MLS) $645M Nashville SC (MLS) $640M Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) $640M Bournemouth (England) $630M Brentford (England) $615M Crystal Palace (England) $610M Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . Get more from MLS Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
