December 20 – FIFA have put the first round of Club World Cup tickets on sale, in a move which puts dynamic ticket pricing in place for the first time in football.
The upcoming tournament, already rife with controversy, attracted new attention earlier this week after Bayern Munich accidentally leaked the prices for the latter stages of the tournament – and they’re eye-watering.
For the time being, though, FIFA have put the first round of tickets on sale, with seats available from $30. However, tickets will be subject to a non-automated version of dynamic pricing through Ticketmaster, meaning that they will go on sale at a base price which could increase depending on time and demand; a concept that has recently caused disgruntlement with music concerts.
“With impeccable timing after the Oasis fiasco, voices in football have started to float the idea of infecting football with dynamic pricing,” the Football Supporters Association said.
“Never underestimate the potential for the most greedy owners in football to try to import terrible ideas from other industries to exploit supporter loyalty.
“Matchgoers are already mobilising against the recent wave of price rises and attacks on concessions. Any underhand increases will be met with enormous opposition.”
Football Supporters Europe added: “FSE strongly opposes so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ in football. It is nothing but blatant greed – it’s that simple.”
See: Land of opportunity. FIFA’s cheap seats for Club World Cup final in New York start at $890
Earlier this season, numerous high-profile players voiced their frustration over the prospect of even more matches being added to their summer commitments. FIFA’s decision to revamp the tournament and grow it to 32 teams—up from the traditional seven—is an attempt to rival UEFA’s Champions League in prestige and revenue, even cherry-picking Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a wild card entry to take part on behalf of the host nation.
On the positive side, FIFA opened an exclusive 48-hour tickets presale window opened on December 17 for the 12 host venues for the tournament, giving them the opportunity to reward their customers through their loyalty programmes or promotional activities.
Group stage tickets for the event, kicking off in the summer of 2025, are available online now.
“With tickets now available, fans are invited to be part of football history by attending the first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, which will be the pinnacle of global club football, serving up iconic moments that only the beautiful game can provide,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“Club football is a fundamental pillar of our sport, and fans have played a pivotal role in its development. This new tournament will be a global celebration of the passion and culture that fans from club football bring, and we can’t wait to kick off with 63 matches taking place in 12 wonderful venues across the United States in June-July 2025.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734706864labto1734706864ofdlr1734706864owedi1734706864sni@g1734706864niwe.1734706864yrrah1734706864
