The expanded FIFA Club World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup have opened in the United States to disappointing attendance figures, far below organizers' expectations. Despite significant hype and ticket price cuts, matches in Miami, San Jose, Inglewood, East Rutherford, Cincinnati, and Seattle saw many empty seats. This flat start raises concerns for the US as it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup final, though some matches still offered exciting football.
No kings, few fans: USA’s year of World Cups gets off to a flat start
Club World Cup 2025Club World CupUnited StatesSportsUS sports
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The expanded FIFA Club World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup have opened in the United States to disappointing attendance figures, far below organizers' expectations. Despite significant hype and ticket price cuts, matches in Miami, San Jose, Inglewood, East Rutherford, Cincinnati, and Seattle saw many empty seats. This flat start raises concerns for the US as it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup final, though some matches still offered exciting football.
Trending- 1 Saturday: Donald Trump's military parade in Washington DC
- 2 Saturday: Fifa Club World Cup opening ceremony at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami
- 3 Saturday: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly (0-0) at Hard Rock Stadium
- 4 Saturday: Mexico vs Dominican Republic (3-2) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood
- 5 Sunday: United States men’s national team vs Trinidad and Tobago (5-0) at PayPal Park in San Jose
- 6 Opening weekend: Other Club World Cup games (PSG vs Atlético Madrid, Palmeiras vs Porto, Bayern Munich vs Auckland City, Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders) and Gold Cup double-header (Saudi Arabia vs Haiti, Costa Rica vs Suriname) also held with low attendance
- Lower-than-expected attendance at major soccer tournaments
- Concerns about US's readiness and fan engagement for 2026 World Cup
- Financial implications for organizers due to unsold tickets and price cuts
What: The opening matches of the FIFA Club World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States experienced low attendance, failing to meet organizer expectations.
When: Opening weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of the tournaments (as of 2025-06-16).
Where: United States; Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), PayPal Park (San Jose), SoFi Stadium (Inglewood), Rose Bowl (Pasadena), MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford), Cincinnati (MLS venue), Lumen Field (Seattle), San Diego.
Why: High initial ticket prices, lack of fan enthusiasm, and potentially the simultaneous staging of two major tournaments contributed to low attendance.
How: Organizers hyped the events, but attendance figures for various matches were significantly below stadium capacities, even after ticket price reductions.