FIFA's Ironic Backfire as Club World Cup Semifinal Ticket Prices Plummet

NEW JERSEY, MONDAY — Under normal circumstances, ticket prices for a prestigious tournament typically rise as the event approaches its conclusion. The opposite occurred during the semifinal match of the Club World Cup, which featured Chelsea and Fluminense at Metlife Stadium, New Jersey, United States, on Wednesday (9/7/2025). Instead of being expensive and still in high demand, ticket prices were actually cut by more than half.

Tickets for the Chelsea versus Fluminense match were initially priced at 474 US dollars (approximately 7.6 million IDR). The ticket prices were then drastically reduced to 13.40 US dollars (217,000 IDR) in less than three days. This decision to cut semifinal ticket prices was taken by FIFA to boost spectator attendance at the stadium. The issue of low spectator turnout at the stadium has been a concern since the first day of the Club World Cup.

A stadium with few spectators is a nightmare for FIFA as it will affect public perception and potential sponsors for the 2026 World Cup. Nevertheless, the Club World Cup will serve as a reflection of the organization of next year's World Cup. The phenomenon of low attendance is likely to recur, which will diminish the interest of potential sponsors in being involved.

The newly conceived Club World Cup, which increases the number of participants to 32 teams from the previous seven, has sparked controversy. With the increase in the number of participating teams, the duration of the event has also lengthened. Ultimately, footballers who should be afforded rest at the end of the competition still have to work hard in the Club World Cup.

In addition, FIFA's decision to hold the Club World Cup in the United States is somewhat misguided. The American public does not regularly watch soccer, which is less popular compared to basketball, rugby, and baseball.

Moreover, the Club World Cup does not evoke a sense of nationalism, which could potentially lead to a lower level of interest. Additionally, its scheduling coincides with the CONCACAF Gold Cup, resulting in an oversaturated market. The average attendance during the group stage was only 35,000 people.

These factors are the reasons why the tickets for the semifinal match between Chelsea and Fluminense, which had low demand, had to be significantly reduced. However, the price reduction did not occur for the other semifinal match featuring Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

The grand match between the champions of the UEFA Champions League for the past two seasons attracted significant enthusiasm from the audience, resulting in tickets being priced at a minimum of 200 US dollars.

FIFA argued that the decision to reduce ticket prices was made in response to the market situation in the US. This is not an issue as ticket prices have been dynamic from the beginning.

"Varied prices have been applied to the sale of tickets for the general public for all matches in the competition since ticket sales began at the end of 2024. This means that ticket prices have been and will continue to be adjusted based on demand and availability for each match," said FIFA.

In addition to lowering prices, FIFA also deployed volunteers at the Club World Cup to address the numerous empty seats in the stadium. According to a report from The Athletic, FIFA sent an email to the volunteers offering four free tickets to the quarter-final matches. The free tickets include all quarter-final matches, except for Real Madrid versus Borussia Dortmund.

In fact, the volunteers had previously been informed during the training session that there would be no benefits in the form of free tickets for them. However, the policy changed in light of the reality of the low spectator interest in the Club World Cup.

Volunteers can watch the matches with free tickets but are not allowed to wear uniforms. This way, there is an impression that those attending are not volunteers, but rather members of the general public.

FIFA did not comment much on the distribution of free tickets to volunteers. FIFA merely stated that the tickets are a form of appreciation for the contributions of the volunteers.

"Volunteers are essential for the organization of every FIFA tournament, and as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication, they are often offered the opportunity to attend live matches when possible. FIFA is proud of the 8,000 volunteers who provided their support for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup and invites them to attend matches in line with similar initiatives implemented in previous FIFA competitions," said FIFA in its response.