Club World Cup: A Prelude to 2026 with Expanding Horizons
The newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. has seen over 1.5 million tickets sold across 130 countries. Despite some sparsely attended matches, FIFA aims to generate excitement for the 2026 World Cup amid past concerns of low fan turnout during Copa America.
FIFA announced that fans from more than 130 countries have snapped up nearly 1.5 million tickets for the Club World Cup, which began last weekend in the United States in its new expanded format.
The tournament's opening matches attracted significant attendances, with over 60,000 fans gathering at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium to watch Inter Miami's Lionel Messi on Saturday and approximately 80,000 observing Paris St Germain's 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl. However, not all games have been as well attended, as seen during a 0-0 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense in front of a half-empty MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed that the tournament serves as a world-class platform for emerging stories and heroes in club football, aiming to create enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Despite previous low spectator turnout in Copa America 2024, FIFA hopes that the Club World Cup will spark an increased interest in soccer across the U.S., a critical co-host nation for the upcoming global event in 2026.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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