FIFA says it has sold close to 1.5 million tickets for Club World Cup matches as of Tuesday, as images of empty stadium seats during weekday games have become a prevalent storyline during the tournament’s first week in the United States.
The Club World Cup opener featuring Lionel Messi and Inter Miami playing to an entertaining, but scoreless draw against Egyptian side Al Ahly on Saturday drew 60,927 fans at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
One day later, 80,619 fans attended a match to see Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain beat Spanish club Atlético de Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl near Los Angeles. It was the largest crowd either club played in front of during their respective 2024-25 seasons.
However, Tuesday’s noon ET match at MetLife Stadium between German standouts Borussia Dortmund and Brazilian club Fluminense was played in front of 34,736 fans in the 82,500-seat venue that will host the Club World Cup final on July 13. The start time was 6 p.m. in Dortmund, Germany. MetLife is also set to host next year’s World Cup final.
Monday’s 3 p.m. ET match between Chelsea FC (England) and Los Angeles FC (MLS) also saw more empty seats than seats filled at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. There was an announced crowd of 22,137 in the 71,000-seat venue, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. The match began at 8 p.m. local time in the United Kingdom.
“I think the environment was a bit strange. You know, the stadium was almost empty – not full,” Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said after the 2-0 win.
FIFA says more than 340,000 fans attended the first eight matches of the tournament (Saturday-Monday), and expects more than 50,000 fans to show up to the top-selling group-stage matches in the next week.
Among those matches are Real Madrid’s Club World Cup opener with Saudi club Al Hilal at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday, their tilt against Mexican standouts CF Pachuca on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and a match against Austrian side FC Salzburg on June 26 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The others are Friday: England’s Chelsea FC will meet Brazilian side CR Flamengo in Philadelphia, and Germany’s FC Bayern München will face Argentina’s CA Boca Juniors in Miami.
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FIFA says fans from more than 130 countries have purchased Club World Cup tickets, with the United States leading the way, followed by buyers from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
The organization will also contribute $1 for every tournament ticket sold to the FIFA Global Education Fund, which launched in April 2025 and is designed to improve access to quality education and football for children around the world.
“FIFA is proud of the unique and multicultural atmosphere and support this new competition has already generated — and thanks every fan who has brought their voice, passion, and presence as the FIFA Club World Cup continues to grow into the undisputed pinnacle of global club football,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.