This week, ticket sales for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 reflect a mixed response, with multiple seats still available at various stadiums across the United States.
Unlike the World Cup, this tournament is grandly known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Set to unite 32 professional teams from around the globe, the tournament will take place in 11 U.S. cities, including Philadelphia.
Lincoln Financial Field is slated to host six group stage matches, a round-of-16 match, and a highly anticipated quarterfinal match on July 4, as stated by FIFA.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino took the opportunity to promote the tournament from the home ground of the Philadelphia Eagles, showcasing two Lombardi Trophies behind him.
He enthusiastically encouraged American fans to purchase tickets by saying, ‘Buy tickets. There are still a few available.’
The excitement surrounding this year’s Club World Cup is partly to generate interest for the following year’s actual World Cup, where the format expands to 48 national teams for the first time.
Next year’s World Cup will also be staged across various NFL stadiums as well as in Canada and Mexico.
In an effort to boost local economies, FIFA has pledged $1 million to each of the 11 cities hosting matches during the Club World Cup, a substantial financial commitment to stimulate engagement and participation.
Infantino elaborated on the underlying philosophy of the tournament, stating, ‘Everyone thinks that the country winning their own national or continental competition is the best in the world,’ referring to prominent tournaments like the Champions League and Copa Libertadores.
He continued, ‘But that’s actually not the case. So we decided to create a real World Cup for teams.’
The revamped and expanded tournament is scheduled to kick off on June 15 and conclude on July 13, with the final being held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which is also the designated venue for the 2026 World Cup final.
FIFA announced earlier this year a significant $1 billion broadcast deal with DAZN, ensuring widespread coverage of this summer’s Club World Cup.
Among the teams confirmed for this year’s competition are two American squads: Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders.
Additionally, the tournament will feature twelve prominent teams from Europe, including Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid, and Salzburg.
Teams from South America also have strong representation, including Boca Juniors, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, and River Plate.
From North America, Leon, Monterrey, and Pachuca will be participating, while African clubs such as Al Ahly, Esperance, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Wydad join the lineup.
Asian representatives include Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan, and Urawa, alongside Auckland City from Oceania.
Despite current concerns regarding ticket sales, Infantino displayed confidence in the event’s success, stating, ‘I don’t have any concerns about ticket sales. We’ll have full stadiums in America.’
He emphasized the popularity of soccer in the United States, noting, ‘If in America you fill soccer stadiums for friendly games, then when you come with a World Cup and the best players to win a competition … we’ll have to promote it, we’ll have to present it, we’ll have to explain it to the people.’
Infantino characterized the event as a ‘celebration of soccer,’ with expectations of filled stadiums and fans traveling from around the world.
In light of the current U.S. political environment, there are apprehensions about international fans traveling overseas for the matches.
To alleviate such concerns, Infantino met with President Donald Trump last month to underscore the importance of this event, which leads into next year’s main spectacle.
Infantino assured that foreign fans will be safe during their time in the United States, expressing confidence in collaboration with the U.S. government.
His discussions with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel at the FIFA office in Miami aimed at establishing a security plan for fans traveling to the matches on visas.
‘It’s absolutely crucial that we have this collaboration,’ Infantino stated, acknowledging the trust FIFA has rebuilt over the years.
‘We came back a long way. Today, we work in a clear way, in a transparent way, in an ethical way. We’ll bring the world to the United States of America. These are the guarantees the United States government signed at the time of the bidding and reconfirmed, of course. The world will be welcomed.’
In a promotional event, Eagles wide receiver and Super Bowl champion AJ Brown stepped onto the field to help advocate for the tournament, sharing that he had little experience with soccer aside from playing the FIFA video game.
He expressed excitement about attending his first soccer matches this summer, signaling the kind of new fans FIFA hopes will engage in this summer’s extravaganza.
‘I always heard great things,’ Brown recalled pleasantly.
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