Membership World Cup Q&A: Are ticket gross sales rising? Do folks care? – Kaveh Solhekol solutions some key questions | Soccer Information

June 19, 2025 icemelon17@gmail.com

The FIFA Membership World Cup is gathering tempo after the opening spherical of group video games. Right here, our reporter Kaveh Solhekol solutions some key questions from the US.

The brand new-look Membership World Cup, which options 32 groups, began on June 14 with the ultimate happening on July 13.

The opening week has witnessed a 10-goal thumping, a dominant efficiency from Europe’s champions PSG and combined outcomes for different European heavyweights. Some attendances have been very low however we’ve got seen passionate followers on the streets and within the stands and Wednesday’s recreation between Actual Madrid and Al Hilal was excellent leisure.

What is the format of the Membership World Cup?

The match format works precisely the identical because the FIFA World Cup, just for golf equipment.

The 32 groups have been divided into eight teams of 4 groups, with the highest two groups in every group qualifying for the knockout stage.

The last-16 stage – the primary single knockout spherical – then strikes to the quarter-final, semi-final after which last. There isn’t a third-place play-off between the 2 shedding semi-final groups.

Why are the attendances so low?

KAVEH SAYS: Regardless of photos of hundreds of empty seats at some video games, FIFA is pleased with attendances to this point. The typical attendance is sort of 39,000 after 10 matches and that may rise considerably within the latter phases of the match.

It is not all doom and gloom. FIFA says it has already bought 1.5 million tickets and lots of video games have been effectively attended. The opening recreation between Inter Miami and Al Ahly was nearly bought out, PSG beat Atletico Madrid in Los Angeles in entrance of greater than 80,000 followers and 55,574 folks watched Boca Juniors draw with Benfica.

In fact, there have been too many empty seats at some video games – particularly Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns and Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC – however FIFA is anticipating a giant crowd when Chelsea play Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday.

Lots has been made concerning the ticket pricing for the matches? How has it been obtained within the host cities?

KAVEH SAYS: FIFA’s dynamic ticketing coverage has been controversial, nevertheless it has meant you should purchase tickets comparatively cheaply for some video games. Common admission tickets for Chelsea’s opening recreation have been $51 (£38) they usually have been just a few {dollars} extra for Boca Juniors vs Benfica in Miami on Monday.

How accessible are the stadia on the match? Are they simple to get to? What’s the infrastructure?

KAVEH SAYS: FIFA is utilizing a mixture of totally different sized stadia and probably the most spectacular to this point have been those utilized by the NFL. These are additionally getting used for the 2026 World Cup so this match is a helpful dry run for subsequent summer time. One of many causes FIFA likes internet hosting tournaments right here – aside from the US being soccer’s last frontier – is that the stadia and infrastructure are already in place.

Do the kick-off instances really feel like the fitting ones?

KAVEH SAYS: Video games are kicking off as early as noon and that fits tv audiences within the UK greater than followers within the US.

The east coast right here is 5 hours behind the UK so a 3pm native kick-off is 8pm within the UK – which is nice information for broadcasters and followers watching on TV again house.

The disappointing 22,000 attendance for Chelsea’s opening recreation in Atlanta is being blamed on the native kick-off time of 3pm on a Monday. Two years in the past there have been greater than 70,000 inside the identical stadium when Chelsea performed Newcastle United in a pre-season pleasant.

Which golf equipment are the preferred in america?

KAVEH SAYS: The Premier League is the preferred international league within the US however the largest draw at this match are Actual Madrid. They are going to play all their video games in packed grounds they usually create a giant buzz wherever they play. It is all a far cry from former head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s rapidly retracted feedback final summer time that they might pull out of the match as a result of they weren’t being provided cash by FIFA to play.

How a lot curiosity is there from US audiences in this sort of soccer?

KAVEH SAYS: Numerous folks say they’re conscious the Membership World Cup is happening and video games appear to be on reside in a number of locations like bars, eating places, airports and even on flights. That does not imply that it is captured the creativeness of the sporting public however protection of it isn’t troublesome to seek out if you’re a soccer fan.

And for these followers, it feels particular to have main golf equipment from all all over the world taking part in aggressive video games within the US as a substitute of simply friendlies.

May attendances be a difficulty in subsequent summer time’s World Cup?

KAVEH SAYS: That is a risk with the match increasing from 32 to 48 groups however do not forget Mexico and Canada are additionally co-hosting in 2026, so a few of the additional video games will probably be unfold out throughout three nations.

The very fact 16 extra nations are taking part in within the World Cup makes it extra seemingly that there will probably be some video games with low attendees within the group phases.

Having stated that, group-stage video games at main tournaments do not all the time promote out and there have been disappointing attendances at some video games at earlier World Cups.

FIFA is assured attendances will not be a difficulty subsequent summer time and, who is aware of, if latest tournaments are something to go by, the 2026 version will finish with some acquainted voices claiming it has been the perfect World Cup ever.

Dwell group tables, fixtures and outcomes

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Membership World Cup fixtures and outcomes

All instances in BST

Group stage

Sunday June 15

Group A: Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami
Group C: Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland Metropolis – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
Group B: PSG 4-0 Atletico Madrid – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles
Group A: Palmeiras 0-0 Porto – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey

Monday June 16

Group B: Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders – Lumen Subject, Seattle
Group D: Chelsea 2-0 Los Angeles FC – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Group C: Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami

Tuesday June 17

Group D: Flamengo 2-0 Esperance de Tunis – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia
Group F: Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey
Group E: River Plate 3-1 Urawa Pink Diamonds – Lumen Subject, Seattle
Group F: Ulsan HD 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns – Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando

Wednesday June 18

Group E: Monterrey 1-1 Inter Milan – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles
Group G: Man Metropolis 2-0 Wydad AC – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia
Group H: Actual Madrid 1-1 Al Hilal – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami
Group H: CF Pachuca 1-2 FC Salzburg – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati

Thursday June 19

Group G: Al Ain 0-5 Juventus – Audi Subject, Washington, D.C
Group A: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 5pm
Group A: Inter Miami vs Porto – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 8pm
Group B: Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid – Lumen Subject, Seattle; kick off 8pm
Group B: PSG vs Botafogo – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm

Friday June 20

Group C: Benfica vs Auckland Metropolis – Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando; kick off 5pm
Group D: Flamengo vs Chelsea – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 7pm
Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Esperance de Tunis – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 10pm

Membership Leon faraway from Membership World Cup after failing to satisfy standards on multi-club possession

Membership Leon have been faraway from the Membership World Cup because it and one other Mexican membership within the match, CF Pachuca, failed to satisfy standards on multi-club possession.

“FIFA has decided that Membership Leon will probably be faraway from the competitors, with the membership to be admitted as a alternative to be introduced in the end,” FIFA stated in an announcement.

Pachuca’s spot on the competitors in America is unaffected. Membership Leon have been as a consequence of be in the identical group as Chelsea.

Saturday June 21

Group C: Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 2am
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Bosurissa Dortmund – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 5pm
Group E: Inter Milan vs Urawa Pink Diamonds – Lumen Subject, Seattle; kick off 5pm
Group F: Fluminense vs Ulsan HD – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 11pm
Group E: River Plate vs Monterrey – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm

Sunday, 22 June

Group G: Juventus vs Wydad AC – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 5pm
Group H: Actual Madrid vs CF Pachuca – Financial institution of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm
Group H: FC Salzburg vs Al Hilal – Audi Subject, Washington, D.C; kick off 11pm

Monday, 23 June

Group G: Man Metropolis vs Al Ain – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 2am
Group B: Seattle Sounders vs PSG – Lumen Subject, Seattle; kick off 5pm
Group B: Atletico Madrid vs Botafogo – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 5pm

Tuesday, 24 June

Group A: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 2am
Group A: Porto vs Al Ahly – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 2am
Group C: Auckland Metropolis vs Boca Juniors – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 7pm
Group C: Benfica vs Bayern Munich – Financial institution of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm

Wednesday, 25 June

Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Flamengo – Tenting World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am
Group D: Esperance de Tunis vs Chelsea – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 2am
Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan HD – TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 8pm
Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm
Group E: Inter Milan vs River Plate – Lumen Subject, Seattle; kick off 11pm
Group E: Urawa Pink Diamonds vs Monterrey – Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm

Thursday, 26 June

Group G: Juventus vs Man Metropolis – Tenting World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm
Group G: Wydad AC vs Al Ain – Audi Subject, Washington, D.C; kick off 8pm

Friday, 27 June

Group H: Al Hilal vs CF Pachuca – GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 1am
Group H: FC Salzburg vs Actual Madrid – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 2am

Knockout stage – spherical of 16

Saturday, 28 June

Match 49: Group A winners vs Group B runners-up – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 5pm
Match 50: Group C winners vs Group D runners-up – Financial institution of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 9pm

Sunday, 29 June

Match 51: Group B winners vs Group A runners-up – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm
Match 52: Group D winners vs Group C runners-up – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 9pm

Monday, 30 June

Match 53: Group E winners vs Group F runners-up – Financial institution of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm

Tuesday, 31 June

Match 54: Group G winners vs Group H runners-up – Tenting World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am

Tuesday, 1 July

Match 55: Group H winners vs Group G runners-up – Onerous Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm

Wednesday, 2 July

Match 56: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 2am

Quarter-final fixtures

Friday, 4 July

Match 57: Winner match 53 vs Winner match 54 – Tenting World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm

Saturday, 5 July

Match 58: Winner match 49 vs Winner match 50 – Lincoln Monetary Subject, Philadelphia; kick off 2am
Match 59: Winner match 51 vs Winner match 52 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm
Match 60: Winner match 55 vs Winner match 56 – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 9pm

Semi-final fixtures

Tuesday, 8 July

Match 61: Winner match 57 vs Winner match 58 – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm

Wednesday, 9 July

Match 62: Winner match 59 vs Winner match 60 – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm

FIFA Membership World Cup Last

Sunday, 13 July

Match 63: Winner match 61 vs Winner match 62 – MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm

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