Standard ticket prices for the July 8 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, have plummeted from 473.90 USD to 13.40 USD. This is less than the 14 USD price of a cold beer at the stadium.

Standard tickets for the other semifinal between reigning Champions League winners PSG and Real Madrid remain at 199.60 USD.

Many empty seats were visible during Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in the group stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, on 16/6. Photo: *AMA*

Despite extensive promotion, many FIFA Club World Cup group stage matches saw tens of thousands of empty seats. To boost attendance, FIFA implemented dynamic pricing, resulting in fluctuating ticket costs during the tournament's preparations.

Tickets for Chelsea's quarterfinal against Fluminense were initially high but were significantly reduced to 11.15 USD. Similar pricing was applied to the Fluminense and Al Hilal match.

Real Madrid has been the exception, attracting at least 60,000 spectators to each of their 5 matches. Most recently, 76,611 people attended their 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Dortmund in New Jersey.

Following FIFA's drastic price reduction for the semifinal, La Liga President Javier Tebas renewed his criticism of the revamped Club World Cup format. He criticized the FIFA-initiated tournament model, both from sporting and economic standpoints.

"A truly absurd FIFA Club World Cup: player and league disagreements, disrupted schedules, and serious damage to the professional football ecosystem, impacting hundreds of thousands of people," Tebas posted on X.

The quarterfinal match between Real Madrid and Dortmund on 5/7 drew 76,611 spectators to MetLife Stadium, the highest attendance of the 2025 Club World Cup. Photo: *FIFA*

MetLife Stadium has hosted 5 matches in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with varying attendance figures. Besides the Real Madrid-Dortmund game, other matches struggled to attract fans, with numbers including 35,179 (Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly), 39,893 (Porto vs. Al Ahly), 34,736 (Fluminense vs. Dortmund), and 29,321 (Fluminense vs. Ulsan).

FIFA is under pressure to demonstrate the viability of the Club World Cup to clubs, broadcasters, and sponsors before future editions. President Gianni Infantino aims to establish the new format as a major event in the football calendar.

FIFA has also invested heavily in promoting the Club World Cup, including a significant marketing budget in the US, and plans to use a similar dynamic pricing model for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Hong Duy (*The Guardian, Marca, Daily Mail*)