Low Turnout at Club World Cup Highlights FIFA's Issues With Ticket Sales, Pricing and Marketing Woes

From Japan to the United Arab Emirates, and now the United States, thousands of passionate fans have followed River Plate around the world during its appearances at international tournaments. That's the case for Sebastián, Ariel and Agustín — a group of friends who traveled nearly 7,000 miles from Buenos Aires to Seattle to attend their team's first group-stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

They bought their tickets months ago in a FIFA presale. But as the tournament's start approached, they said organizers refunded part of the purchase price due to fluctuating pricing. Organizers struggled to sell tickets for its revamped 32-team tournament, with no games being sold out so far.

"The average price we had to pay was about $50, but as time went on and companies like Ticketmaster started selling tickets at lower prices, FIFA refunded us twice to cover the price difference," Sebastián said.

Not everyone was as fortunate. Another River fan who traveled from San Diego with his son, said he didn't receive any refund despite buying tickets six months earlier.

"I bought them in December and paid a fortune, and now they're pretty much giving them away," he said. "The problem is FIFA — the only thing they care about is the money."

Since the newly formatted Club World Cup kicked off June 14, attendance figures across the U.S. have varied. Stadiums were largely full for Inter Miami's debut against Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium and for Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 win over Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. But other cities, including Atlanta and Seattle, have seen significantly smaller crowds.

For example, the Seattle Sounders' opening match against Brazilian team Botafogo drew just 30,151 fans — fewer than the team's MLS average. Chelsea's 2-0 win over LAFC in Atlanta was watched by only 22,137 fans in a venue that seats more than 71,000.

Similarly, less than 12,000 fans attended River Plate's 3-1 win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds on June 17.

Accounts from fans and the visible number of empty seats at matches support a recent report from The Athletic, which revealed that FIFA has struggled to sell tickets despite spending millions of dollars on marketing the tournament.

According to the report, FIFA implemented a dynamic pricing model that allowed fans to buy tickets for as little as $55. The organization also partnered with Miami Dade College to offer students $20 tickets for Inter Miami's game against Al Ahly, along with up to four complimentary admissions.

Sources told The Athletic that FIFA spent more than $50 million on marketing, increasing its original budget by millions in the final month in an effort to boost attendance.

The outlet also noted FIFA's struggles to generate "positive authentic publicity" for the event, instead relying on social media campaigns, including sponsored posts from Instagram influencers. Highway billboards in several U.S. cities were another focus of FIFA's promotional strategy.

Despite the mixed attendance, FIFA issued a statement June 17 describing the tournament as a success, calling it a "powerful demonstration of club football's global appeal."

The organization said more than 340,000 fans had helped create "electric atmospheres" with "passionate support." FIFA also said that, as of Tuesday, it had sold nearly 1.5 million tickets.

"This is exactly what the FIFA Club World Cup was created for — a world-class stage where new stories are told, new heroes emerge and club football fans feel part of something bigger," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a news release.

Although the crowd at Seattle's Lumen Field was relatively small, River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo said in his post game press conference that the support meant a lot.

"For us, getting here is not so easy," Gallardo said. "Especially considering the sacrifices our fans make on travel expenses and so on. We also had the furthest venue of all, with few layover options. I just want to thank those who came, and also those who stayed at home and cheered us on from afar."

River Plate leads Group E following its 3-1 victory on Tuesday. The team will face Liga MX's Rayados on June 21 at the Rose Bowl and wrap up group play against Inter Milan back in Seattle on June 25.

Sebastián, Ariel and Agustín told The Latin Times that, despite the challenges, they're committed to following River Plate into the knockout rounds — with a guaranteed match on the East Coast if the team advances.

"All in all, the trip can cost up to $4,000 to $5,000," Ariel said. "We have to travel a lot of miles, but in the end, it's worth it. We're prepared to make it all the way to the final."