Nearly 1.5 million tickets have been sold for the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, with fans from over 130 countries securing seats for the tournament’s debut across the United States, FIFA announced on Tuesday.
The opening weekend drew impressive crowds, with over 60,000 fans packing Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday to watch Inter Miami and Lionel Messi, while nearly 80,000 filled the Rose Bowl on Sunday as Paris Saint-Germain cruised past Atletico Madrid with a 4-0 win.
However, attendance has varied sharply across the tournament. Tuesday’s midday 0-0 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense was played in front of a half-empty MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Similarly, Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Monday saw just over 22,000 fans in Atlanta’s 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium, prompting Blues manager Enzo Maresca to describe the atmosphere as “a bit strange.”
Despite the uneven turnouts, FIFA President Gianni Infantino remained upbeat: “This is exactly what the FIFA Club World Cup was created for — a world-class stage where new stories are told, new heroes emerge, and club football fans feel part of something bigger.”
The tournament is seen as a key stepping stone toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. FIFA hopes the Club World Cup will help energize American audiences and broaden soccer’s appeal in a market still warming to the global game.
Yet concerns remain. Last year’s Copa America was widely criticized for poor pitch conditions, low attendances, and a chaotic final in Miami that raised serious questions about fan safety and event management.
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