Club World Cup fever reaches boiling point

Miami, USA: The much-discussed and, in parts, derided Club World Cup finally got under way in Miami today.

Fifa’s revamped and newly expanded tournament is being played for the first time in the United States amid the backdrop of apparent ticketing issues and accusations of little regard for player welfare.

It will be something of a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup in the US, with five of the venues – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field – also hosting matches next year.

Most of the merits and concerns were discussed over the course of last season, but what are the views of those putting it on, and taking part?

With the big kick-off looming, talk is rife that ticket sales are slow.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami headline the first game, and world governing body Fifa declined to comment when asked by BBC Sport about sales for their match against Al Ahly at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium.

Some reports, external suggest an offer was made to students at Miami Dade College that if they bought one ticket for $20 (£14.70) they would get four free. The college is a partner of Fifa and tickets being offered may be taken up by students who would not usually have an interest in football.

A search on reselling website Ticketmaster on Friday showed tickets still available for purchase for Saturday’s game, with the cheapest costing £48. It has been reported that when sales opened in December, the cheapest available was £257.

Speaking at a media event this week, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said: “I expect a full stadium. We will have an incredible atmosphere. It’s historic.

“We have two teams in that game with very different stories: a young team like Inter Miami that is already known around the world, and the team that has won more trophies than any team in Africa, with millions of fans around the world.”

Tickets for the tournament have been sold under a dynamic pricing model, with prices determined by demand. A lower price suggests less interest.

There are still tickets available for every match, with the majority of fixtures having seats for as little as £45 – and some even as low as £25.

Some matches, understandably, appear to have attracted more interest than others. Tickets for Real Madrid’s first match against Al-Hilal – also at the Hard Rock Stadium – are only available for in excess of £166.

Paris-St Germain’s opener against Atletico Madrid also appears to be selling well, with the cheapest tickets now priced at £60.

With reports that sections of stadiums are being closed,, external only once the tournament kicks off will we get the full picture.

Fans in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Canada lead the way for tickets purchased, with the UK 11th on that list.

Infantino said: “It starts a new era of football, a new era of club football. A little bit like in 1930, the first World Cup started.

“Everyone today speaks about the very first World Cup. That’s why this World Cup here is historic.

“I’m a positive person generally, but they criticise Fifa if the prices are too high, then they criticise Fifa if the prices are too low. Then they criticise Fifa if we make ticketing promotions with students. Students! When I was a student and I didn’t have money, I would have loved Fifa to come to me and say: ‘You want to come and watch a World Cup match?’”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, external has said there is not “any appetite” for the tournament from “players, clubs and even supporters” – but does this ring true?

Speaking to Fifa channels, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane said playing in the tournament would be a “great experience”, Monterrey defender Sergio Ramos said his side were approaching it with “a lot of hunger”, and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said the competition would be “watched by the whole world”.

The big European teams involved have all named strong squads, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Antoine Griezmann all set to feature. Manchester City, meanwhile, have spent more than £100m on players to bolster their squad in preparation for the competition.

Asked how Americans will respond to the event, former US national team boss Jurgen Klinsmann told BBC Sport: “You have big names coming in from South America and the European teams, and mixed in with the Mexican and American teams, you will get some excitement over here.

“Obviously, it will not be like that for every game. They will cherry-pick their games a little bit. The American people are event-driven – they pick their concerts, their sport, their games.

“It will be very interesting to see how they pick it, but I think there will be some very, very interesting games from those clubs that will come into the country.

“It will spark some excitement for the World Cup next summer.” But things feel rather lowkey in Miami in the build-up to the opening game, with few banners or billboards advertising this global spectacle of ‘soccer’.

Boca Juniors T-shirts have been the most popular seen on the streets, and it has been difficult to spot fans wearing Messi tops in the city where he plays his club football.

With the action about to begin, Fifa and the Club World Cup itself could do with a spark of magic from Messi to rouse local interest. It that does not materialise, it may bring about more disdain from those who are already unconvinced.