'This is a real World Cup' - FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he is 'not worried at all' about sluggish ticket sales for 2025 CWC

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he is not concerned about dragging ticket sales for the upcoming FIFA Club World cup in the United States. Expanded to a 32-team event, the tournament been somewhat controversial in the footballing world, due to multiple factors - including schedule congestion.

Speaking at an event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to promote the tournament, Infantino claimed he is not worried about initial slow sales, in part because of how stadiums were filled for friendly matches in years past amongst top-tier teams from around the world.

"I'm not worried at all to fill a stadium when teams are coming to play a World Cup, to play for something real, not just an exhibition game where sometimes the second or third squads are fielded and so on," Infantino said. "This is a real game. This is a real competition. This is a real World Cup. It's the best players. It's the best teams coming."

The FIFA President added that the governing body needs to explain the tournament better to fans in order to spark interest and ticket sales. A seven-team version of the CWC was previously held in 2021, 2022 and 2023, while 2025 will feature the first 32-team version of the competition.

Asked by ESPN, FIFA officials declined to release ticket sale numbers. The first match of the tournament between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egyptian giants Al Ahly will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, and the lowest-priced available ticket, per TicketMaster, is $356.80. In both the upper and lower decks of the venue, there are more than 100 tickets available.

"When people see what it is, then they realize that they have to come," Infantino said. "I was always told in the United States of America, you need to bring the best. Americans, they just want to see the best. They don't want to see average things. Well, the best are coming."

FIFA have also released a package to allow fans to buy tickets to this summer's Club World Cup with a "guaranteed option" to purchase a ticket to one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup games that will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.