FIFA faces harsh reality

Despite being held on a record scale, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is facing the risk of empty stadiums.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is approaching.

FIFA once dreamed of a Club World Cup on a scale similar to the national World Cup: 32 teams, a top-notch playground gathering the most prestigious brands in world football. However, as the ball is about to roll in the US, that dream is facing a very common worry: empty stands.

Big tournament, small atmosphere

63 games in a month - an impressive number for any league. But for Americans, who already have the NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS to satisfy their weekly sports cravings, a soccer league that is unfamiliar, unconnected, and without tradition - will struggle to gain traction.

Even the opening match between Inter Miami, which features Lionel Messi, and Al Ahly (Egypt), taking place at Hard Rock Stadium with a capacity of nearly 64,000, is unlikely to be filled to capacity. Multiple sources say FIFA is working behind the scenes to ensure a full stadium, despite the fact that ticket sales have not met expectations.

Even, according to the revelation from journalist Diego Monroig (ESPN Argentina), only two clubs, Real Madrid and Boca Juniors, sold out all three group stage matches - a clear signal that global reputation does not mean universal appeal locally.

Real Madrid is a very strong brand name. They own a squad of world-class stars like Bellingham, Vinicius, Valverde... and of course, a huge fan base spanning from Europe to America. Real's sold-out ticket sales are not surprising. But more noteworthy is the impressive presence of Boca Juniors.

Manchester City stars are in the US, preparing to attend the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Argentinian club doesn’t have many players who are widely known outside South America. But Boca is a cultural icon, a street football icon, a name that evokes strong emotions in the Latino community in the US – especially in Miami, where they will play their first two games.

Boca’s ticket sales success is testament to a soft power that European football sometimes forgets: identity. When fans feel part of a club, they don’t need a Champions League title to feel loved.

FIFA and the problem of trust

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has assured the media that stadiums – especially for the opening match – will be packed. “We will have full stands, a real festival atmosphere,” he said. But is that true or wishful thinking?

FIFA has bet big on the Club World Cup—not just for TV rights or advertising revenue, but also for a strategic purpose: to expand soccer’s influence in the U.S. market ahead of the 2026 World Cup. But if Americans aren’t interested, and the majority of the games are played in empty seats, the message may backfire.

The fact that only two teams out of 32 teams have sold out is a wake-up call. The tournament cannot survive on just a few names. And if the remaining matches are dull, the brand value will be eroded, even counterproductive to FIFA’s “globalization” vision.

Can the Club World Cup become the tournament that makes FIFA famous?

The Club World Cup, as its name suggests, should be a stage for clubs, not just European ones. But with most fans focused on a few familiar giants, and representatives from Africa, Asia, CONCACAF and South America (apart from Boca) completely overshadowed, the "big stage" is becoming unbalanced.

Remember, the World Cup is not successful just because of Brazil, Germany or France. It is a global event because it unites fans from Japan to Senegal, from Mexico to Iran. The current Club World Cup flounders in the very model it follows: a grand exterior, but an empty interior without real emotion and community presence.

FIFA needs to get to the heart of the matter. Rather than focusing on numbers of teams, games or organisational scale, perhaps the most important thing is to inspire a love of football locally – through stories, iconic players and community connections. A stadium filled with 10,000 passionate people is worth more than a stadium filled with 60,000 people with little to no cheering.

If the 2025 Club World Cup fails in terms of atmosphere, it will not be a matter of communication or marketing – it will be a reminder to FIFA that football is not just about big names, but about emotion, connection and trust. These three elements, unfortunately, are still sorely lacking on the journey to turn the Club World Cup into “the second World Cup”.

Source: https://znews.vn/fifa-doi-mat-thuc-te-phu-phang-post1560507.html