In a surprising move ahead of one of the most anticipated fixtures in world football, FIFA has significantly reduced ticket prices for Inter Miami’s opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, set to take place on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The decision comes amid concerns over sluggish ticket sales, even with global superstar Lionel Messi expected to headline the game.
The match, featuring Messi’s Inter Miami against Egyptian giants Al Ahly, marks the kickoff of the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup tournament. Despite the hype surrounding Messi’s involvement, large swaths of tickets remain unsold at the 65,000-plus capacity venue, prompting FIFA to take urgent action to boost attendance.
According to reports by The Athletic, “tens of thousands” of seats are still available for the 8 p.m. Eastern Time match, fueling speculation that interest in the game has not matched expectations. Although FIFA denied reports that fewer than 20,000 tickets had been sold, the organization stopped short of revealing the actual sales figure, only saying it was “much higher.”
In an effort to avoid a visibly underwhelming turnout, FIFA has dropped ticket prices on Ticketmaster to as low as $55-a dramatic decrease from earlier rates. When the draw for the tournament was conducted in December, the cheapest seats for the match were listed at $349. Prices later dipped to $230, and now, just days before kickoff, they’ve plummeted again.
Despite the ticket woes, FIFA President Gianni Infantino remains bullish about the overall turnout and success of the tournament. “We are introducing many new, successful clubs from all over the world to the global stage through this tournament being staged in 11 cities across the United States,” he said, highlighting the event’s long-term ambition and international appeal.
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The inaugural edition of the expanded Club World Cup is scheduled to run until July 13, with elite clubs from around the world participating. In addition to Inter Miami, Major League Soccer will also be represented by the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC. European heavyweights Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Inter Milan are also part of the competition, making it one of the most star-studded club tournaments ever assembled.
Still, despite the presence of global icons and big-name teams, the sight of thousands of empty seats at a high-profile match featuring Messi could be an embarrassing setback for both FIFA and tournament organizers. With only days left before kickoff, the pressure is on to fill Hard Rock Stadium and deliver a spectacle worthy of the world’s biggest names in club football.
The opening night may yet deliver fireworks on the pitch-but whether the stands will be full enough to match that energy remains to be seen.
