The 2025 Club World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, is being slammed as a disappointment. A total of 12 venues in 11 cities were the temporary home for the tournament. With 32 teams participating, one would have thought that the spectator turnout would have been described as remarkable, at least. However, this was not the case. These types of matches and other similar events usually draw great, enthusiastic crowds, for example, the 2014 match between Manchester United and Real Madrid, which took place at the Michigan Stadium in the US and attracted an attendance of 109,318.
The dynamics behind spectator turnout
Spectators are an important part of any football match. Think of it this way, it motivates players to perform better. Who would not want to play at their level best with a whole stadium of fans cheering them on? That said, it also has a monetary benefit. Money is spent at stadiums. Not only for ticket purchases but also to buy food, drinks, and memorabilia. The funds generated here can be ploughed back.
On the flipside, spectators can also have a negative impact on gameplay. Think of some of the abusive and rude comments that have been heard at sporting events. Hurtling these around at the players can really break their spirits. Not only that, it can also lead to anger and frustration on the field itself, which in turn could lead to a fine or even a player being sent off the field, further impacting gameplay.
Seating suitable for a ghostly audience
The Club World Cup has not quite lived up to expectations when it came to match attendance. Other international-type tournaments drew quite big crowds, as can be seen with the 2022 World Cup, which averaged about 53,191, the 2024 Euro at 52,314, and the Copa America that took place last summer at 49,406. One of the explanations given for this is stadium size.
Most of the Club World Cup matches have been played in American football stadiums rather than in the smaller MLS stadiums. A snippet of some of the attendees is:
- 60,927 (93% capacity) at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (Al Ahly vs Inter Miami)
- 25,797 (38% capacity) at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (Flamengo vs ES Tunis)
- 30,151 (44% capacity) at Lumen Field, Seattle (Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders)
- 55,574 (85% capacity) at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (Boca Juniors vs Benfica)
- 46,275 (56% capacity) at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (Palmeiras vs Porto)
The great ticketing debacle of the Club World Cup
Another great influencer in this situation has been the ticket prices. The initial ticket prices that were set out for this Club World Cup were among some of the most expensive ever for any major soccer tournament. Initial costing had the cheapest tickets for the opener at $223, whilst the upper-deck seats at some of the group-stage games were priced from $100 upwards.
The effect of these high-ticket prices was evident in the sales figures. Attempting to fix the situation, FIFA decided to cut the vast majority of the prices. Since December, a lot of the prices have dropped by 25%. Since May of 2025, tickets to about 26 of the 48 group games could be purchased for less than $50. Unfortunately, this also did not quite fill the stadiums up to expectations.
Further blame was placed on the marketing strategy for this event. No detailed information was provided on the vision that FIFA had for this event. There was also no rationale given behind the reason for the tournament. Empty messaging and low credibility added fuel to the fire. A vast majority of fans were also not able to attend due to the unaffordability of travel and stay in America. US visas also seem to be hard to obtain. A further matter to consider is the novelty of football. With some of the clubs regularly participating in the US, it seems that some of the fondness has worn off.
