FIFA cuts Chelsea–Fluminense Club World Cup ticket prices to cheaper than a beer

The quarterfinal match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on July 5 attracted 76,611 spectators at MetLife Stadium, the highest attendance since the beginning of the 2025 Club World Cup. Photo by FIFA

The standard ticket price for the match at East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium on July 8 has dropped by 35 times, from $473.90 to just $13.40, less than the $14 typically charged for a cold beer at the venue, according to Daily Mail.

Ticket prices for the other semifinal between Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid remain at $199.60.

Despite extensive promotion, many group stage matches of the expanded Club World Cup have seen thousands of empty seats. In response, FIFA has implemented a dynamic pricing strategy, causing ticket prices to fluctuate significantly in the days leading up to matches.

Ticket prices for Chelsea's quarterfinal against Palmeiras on Saturday were initially high but later dropped to as low as $11.15. Similar reductions have been applied to the match between Fluminense and Al Hilal.

Real Madrid have been an exception in this tournament, drawing crowds of over 60,000 to all five of their matches. Most notably, 76,611 spectators attended Real Madrid's 3-2 quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium, The Guardian reported.

The deep ticket cuts have created criticism of the tournament's structure, with La Liga president Javier Tebas slamming its format and impact.

"A truly disastrous Club World Cup: players and leagues at odds, schedules destroyed, and a severely damaged professional football ecosystem, with hundreds of thousands of employees affected," Tebas wrote on X. "Could it be worse? May God save us from these madmen, please."

MetLife Stadium has hosted five Club World Cup matches so far, with different attendance figures. Aside from Real Madrid's match against Dortmund, attendance has remained low, including 35,179 (Palmeiras vs Al Ahly), 39,893 (Porto vs Al Ahly), 34,736 (Fluminense vs Dortmund) and 29,321 (Fluminense vs Ulsan Hyundai).

FIFA is under growing pressure to demonstrate the long-term viability of the Club World Cup to clubs, sponsors and broadcasters.

President Gianni Infantino is determined to establish the tournament as a premier fixture on the global football calendar.

To support that ambition, FIFA has invested heavily in promotion, particularly in the U.S., and is expected to apply the same dynamic pricing strategy during the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.