The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has offered unprecedented prize money, but the box office performance has been a catastrophe. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, currently in the round of 16 tournament, is failing to gain popularity in the United States.
U.S. ESPN reported on the 29th (Korea time), "There were over 1 million empty seats in the group stage of the Club World Cup. The group stage of the Club World Cup, held one year before the 2026 North American World Cup, saw over 1 million seats vacant during 48 matches."
This Club World Cup is a precursor event for FIFA, taking place one year before the 2026 North American World Cup. Although top teams from different continents are competing in major World Cup host cities in the U.S., the box office report is quite disappointing.
ESPN noted, "The attendance in 48 group stage matches was only 56.7% of the maximum capacity. In Orlando, Florida, the attendance reached only 3,412 and 6,730, while the match in Cincinnati saw just 5,282 and 8,239 spectators." They added, "Considering the maximum capacity, 2.95 million attendees could have entered. However, the total attendance for the group stage matches was 1.67 million, with an average attendance of only 34,746."
Above all, ESPN pointed out, "FIFA has not disclosed the official maximum capacity for this tournament despite repeated requests from the Associated Press (AP)." This raises criticism that FIFA was trying to conceal the dismal box office performance.
The venue with particularly low audience participation was MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the final match of next year's World Cup is scheduled. MetLife Stadium is an enormous venue with a capacity of 82,000, but the average attendance across five matches was only 44.9%.
Rose Bowl Stadium (California), which hosted the final of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., recorded a 50% occupancy rate. Other cities recorded Atlanta at 44.3%, Seattle at 52%, Philadelphia at 61.6%, and Miami at 81.8%. It was rare to see a stadium filled to capacity.
Ulsan Hyundai, representing Korean football as the K League 1 Champion, also could not escape the box office failure. MetLife Stadium was the venue for Group F matches that Ulsan played in, competing against Fluminense (Brazil), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), and Borussia Dortmund (Germany).
In particular, the match between Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns recorded the lowest attendance of the group stage. Only 3,412 spectators attended this match, resulting in an attendance rate of merely 13%. The match in Cincinnati between Ulsan and Borussia Dortmund had an attendance of 8,239 (32%), ranking fourth lowest. In contrast, the match featuring Kang-in Lee's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Atlético Madrid had the highest attendance of 80,619.
With the lack of popularity in the United States, criticism is directed at FIFA, the tournament's organizer. FIFA scheduled the matches of this tournament to align with prime time in Europe rather than in the U.S., resulting in Americans facing matches during hot afternoons or while at work. Critics argue that it was a predicted box office failure because many had to sacrifice their daily lives to attend the matches.
Of course, there is a substantial possibility that box office performance may improve in the tournament stage. The group stage had few matchups between prestigious or popular teams, with many games featuring teams that lack local fan bases. The timing was also poor, lacking momentum for box office success. However, narratives may change in the 16-team tournament, where nine European teams, including Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich, and nine Brazilian teams have progressed.
Meanwhile, FIFA is dismissing criticism regarding the poor box office results. FIFA stated in a press release, "The interest in this tournament does not need to be explained. Fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets. This is clear evidence of global anticipation and influence."
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