This Saturday, Inter Miami and Al Ahly will kick off the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The long-awaited day has arrived. On Saturday, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will officially begin. The tournament brings together the most accomplished clubs of the past four years from each continental confederation, and for the first time, it will feature an expanded format with 32 teams. Inter Miami and Al Ahly will face off in the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Despite global anticipation surrounding the tournament, one recurring topic in recent weeks has been the reportedly low level of interest among fans in the United States. This perception was fueled by sluggish ticket sales, which caused prices to plummet.
In response, FIFA introduced several measures in the final days leading up to the match to help boost ticket sales. One of these was a promotion targeting college students, offering up to four free tickets with the purchase of a $20 admission—bringing the average cost per ticket down to just $4.
Thanks to these efforts, combined with the proximity of the event, Club World Cup organizers now appear to be on track to deliver a fuller stadium for the opening match. In fact, just hours before kickoff, the tournament’s official ticketing website reflected a different outlook. Estimates suggest that nearly 50,000 fans will be in attendance to see Messi in action with Inter Miami, out of a total capacity of 65,000 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Just a few days ago, Gianni Infantino broke his silence on the rumors of low attendance for the Club World Cup opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly. In a video shared by Deporte Total USA, the FIFA president expressed confidence that Hard Rock Stadium would be packed with fans: “Yes, absolutely, it will be full.”
Infantino then highlighted what makes the tournament’s opening match special. “A young team like Inter Miami, known around the world, and the team with the most titles in Africa and millions of fans worldwide, Al Ahly,” he added. “And a new competition that’s set to change club soccer. So the stadium will be full, and it’s going to be an incredible celebration.”
While general interest in the Club World Cup has been underwhelming so far, a few clubs have stood out as exceptions. According to information provided by FIFA, Boca Juniors was the first team to sell out its group stage matches. The Argentine side will play at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami against Benfica on Monday, then face Bayern Munich at the same venue four days later, and finish the group stage against Auckland City at Geodis Park in Nashville.
Other clubs among the top sellers so far include Real Madrid (in Group H with Al Hilal, Pachuca, and Red Bull Salzburg) and Brazil’s Flamengo (set to face Chelsea, Esperance, and Los Angeles FC).
From: bolavip.com
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