FIFA: How the World Association glosses out the fan interest at the club World Cup

34,736 spectators wanted to see the game between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense. The Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, where the BVB’s first group game took place at this club World Cup, holds 82,500 fans-and offers a few hundred places more than the Dortmund Signal Iduna Park. Consequently, the atmosphere in the stadium should not have felt so intensely, at least for BVB professionals.

Gaps too big gaps in the stands. When the teams entered the arena before the kick -off, the ranks were so sparse that they almost felt pity with the actors. The result of the game adapted to the conditions in the stands – it ended goalless. From a German perspective, it was also disappointing that the Brazilians with their 40-year-old defense chief Thiago Silva had the better team on the pitch and Dortmund was well served with the draw.

The sporty, poor achievements that have been shown at this tournament so far are probably not the main problem of the giant tournament (32 participants), but the lack of viewer interest, which can hardly be concealed. The announcement by the World Association almost bizarre that the tournament is a “viewer success”. On the first three match days, more than 340,000 people had followed the games in the stadiums, FIFA said. The sold-out arenas were outstanding at the opening game between Al-Nahly FC and Inter Miami (0: 0) with 60,927 spectators and the game Paris Saint-Germain against Atlético Madrid (4: 0) with 80,619 fans.

However, it is doubtful whether the two games were actually sold out or that all viewers were present. The hard rock stadium in Miami takes up 5000 spectators than were there (65,326), and when the PSG’s Champions League winner in Pasadena in Pasadena in California, almost 10,000 spectators were missing to fill the Rose-Bowl completely. Nevertheless, the two duels can actually be seen as a viewer success. The duel between the Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires and Benfica Lisbon was also well attended with 55,000 spectators in a stadium with a capacity of 65,000 followers.

The encouragement in the parts mentioned should be related to the extremely reduced ticket prices. The FIFA has a so-called dynamic price model-if the demand is high, the ticket prices automatically increase. Or they drop when demand is low. If the cards for the opening game cost over $ 300 months ago, they were recently partly from about $ 70. In half of the 48 preliminary round games, tickets are available for less than $ 36. For comparison: The prices for preliminary round games at the European Football Championship in Germany were mostly between 60 and 200 euros.

The reduced admission prices do not save the viewer interest in the other nine games. CF Monterrey against Inter Milan filled the Rose Bowl Stadium only half (40,000 in 89,000 places). Bayern did not even get a 26,000 stadium against Auckland City FC (21,000 were there). Botafogo against Seattle Sunders, at least a home team, saw 30,151 instead of the possible 68,740. FC Chelsea against Los Angeles FC wanted to follow 22.137 (42,500). The games between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds with 11,974 spectators (38,300) and Ulsan HD FC and Mamelodi Sundowns with 3412 supporters (25,500) were sad. It can only get better.

Sources: “”, “”, Dpa