The prospect of watching PSG, the new European champions, or seeing the legend that is Leo Messi at close quarters or watch two of the Premier League powerhouses in Manchester City and Chelsea... none of the above have failed to crack the ice. The only club that has managed to sell out its first match of the imminent Club World Cup in the United States is Real Madrid. All 65,326 tickets available for Real Madrid’s debut against Al Hilal at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami officially sold out several weeks ago.
As things stand, the only tickets available for the Group F clash are resale only and via official ticket agency, Ticketmaster, with the cheapest option to see Xabi Alonso’s debut on the Madrid bench costing over $250 for one of the most distant seats at the home of the Miami Dolphins. Real Madrid have become FIFA’s driving force in this expanded 32 team tournament.
The interest in watching ‘Los Blancos’ at the Hard Rock Stadium is is in stark contrast to the tournament opener at the same venue. Despite the Messi-effect and the general buzz that always surrounds an inaugural game, as things stand, swathes of the Hard Rock stadium are set to be empty on Saturday.
This very week, The Athletic reported on FIFA’s internal concern over the slow pace of ticket sales for the inaugural match, even though it’s scheduled in the city where Messi has played for the past few years. The Argentine striker has broken audience records (in stadiums and on television) since he moved to MLS, but a number of reasons (initial inflated pricing via the ‘dynamic pricing’ model, confusion locally about the tournament...), tickets have not sold well for the Group A clash against the Egyptian champions. Rumours even suggest that only a third of the tickets have been sold so far for the game despite FIFA being adamant that sales are higher than that estimate.
Real Madrid popular draw Stateside
Real Madrid’s second Group F game (against Pachuca, June 22), is close to selling out with the clash set for the 74,000 capacity Bank of America stadium in Charlotte (North Carolina). As things stand, the cheapest ticket to see the Spanish side face ‘Los Tuzos’ will set you back $115, almost triple the price for the opening match.
The final group stage game for Xabi Alonso’s side will be held on June 26th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia with a packed house already guaranteed. Real Madrid take on RB Salzburg, and as is the case with Miami, the Ticketmaster resale platform still has tickets available but at over $200.