Fifa defends ticket sales as only 3,500 attend Club World Cup match
Fifa has defended their ticket sales process after just 3,412 fans attended a Club World Cup match this week.
Fewer than 3,500 fans attended the match in Orlando between South Korean side Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
It comes after fewer 23,000 fans watched Chelsea take on MLS side Los Angeles FC at Atlanta’s 71,000-capacity arena.
Tickets have been slashed in an attempt to see a surge in late sales for the competition Fifa boss Gianni Infantino insisted would be the pinnacle of football.
Infantino and his Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe were two of those 3,412 fans.
Fifa insisted this week that over 340,000 fans have attended matches – fuelled by 80,000 for PSG’s match against Atletico Madrid and 60,000 for Inter Miami’s tie versus Al Ahly.
Club World Cup struggles?
They went on to say that they’re nearing 1.5m ticket sales, but it was not enough to fill the 25,500-capacity Inter & Co Stadium – the Orlando arena was just 13.4 per cent full.
“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”, said Infantino on the ticket sales.
“Fifa is proud of the unique and multicultural atmosphere and support this new competition has already generated — and thanks every fan who has brought their voice, passion, and presence as the Fifa Club World Cup continues to grow into the undisputed pinnacle of global club football.”
There are four games today, with only Real Madrid’s tie against Al-Hilal sending fans to the back of a ticketing queue.
There are tickets available in every lower bowl block for Manchester City’s match against Wydad AC – with the majority of the upper blocks not open for sale.
The majority of public blocks for Pachuca’s tie against Salzburg in Cincinnati have tickets available while it is a similar situation for Al Ain’s tie versus Juventus in Washington DC.