The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup format change has ruffled some feathers. Starting this year, the seven-team yearly tournament will become a 32-team affair played every four years. Already mired in controversy, the ticket price issues are only adding to concerns about the expanded Cup.
Initial prices would place the Club World Cup as the most expensive buy in soccer this side of the World Cup. Tickets to the CWC final started at $600. For reference, the cheapest price to get in the door for the Champions League Final this year was $104. The average ticket price for the CWC has gone down 16% already, and it seems most seats remain empty.
There are many factors at play. This year, the tournament is being held in the United States, which is not the biggest travel destination or football market. Expanding the format and raising the stakes is an attempt to make a largely irrelevant tournament a staple on the football calendar; some hiccups can be expected. But, with the players speaking out en masse against the Cup before it even begins, further complications are a worrying sign.
FIFA aims to make this one of the preeminent tournaments in world football. With issues arising from the players, the fans, and the clubs, there are many hurdles to that goal. We’ll see if they can be overcome during the 2025 Club World Cup.
