FIFA has been struggling to sell tickets for the Club World Cup semi-final clash between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium. The game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will kick off at 3 PM local time on Tuesday, July 8.
Earlier in the past week, FIFA was selling the first semi-final tickets for a steep $473.90 (£348.89) but found very few takers. Now, in a desperate bid to fill the stands for the first semi-final, FIFA have brought ticket prices down to a mere $13.40 (£9.87).
The 2025 Club World Cup has delivered some sensational match-ups since it kicked off mid-June. From the rise of Brazilian clubs to European powerhouses flexing their muscles, the tournament has lived up to expectations. Despite the quality on offer, FIFA has had a hard time drawing fans to the stadium.
Chelsea’s tournament opener against Los Angeles FC (LAFC) drew a crowd of only 22,000 people, causing Enzo Maresca to voice his shock. As things stand, Maresca and his men could be headlining yet another sparsely attended game, this time in the semi-finals.
Fans Slam FIFA for Poor Scheduling Ahead of Club World Cup Semi-Final Between Chelsea and Fluminense
With FIFA scrambling to fill the stadium ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense, fans have pinned the blame on the organisers. Most fans believe that poor scheduling has heavily contributed to the underwhelming attendance figures.
Redditor Altruistic_Fuel9766 wrote:
“They picked the dumbest day and times for these games. No one is going to sit in such uncomfortable, humid heat with the high chance that storms are going to stretch this game to over 3-4 hours.”
Another user, dochi77, meanwhile, took a more sarcastic route.
“Very convenient timings set by FIFA to watch the games, no wonder so many people are eager to go!”
Chelsea fan, nonstopflux, said FIFA dropped the ball in pricing.
“If these idiots had priced them reasonably the first time, they would have had so much more engagement.”
On X (formerly Twitter), @NUFCJordd urged the FA to follow suit and bring prices down in the Premier League.
“Bring these prices to English football”
Bring these prices to English football 😂
— Jord (@NUFCJordd) July 6, 2025
It’s good for the fans and should be the normal price for every game
— CFCMason (@PrinceTammy9) July 6, 2025
While Chelsea vs Fluminense has struggled to fill the stadium, the second semi-final between Real Madrid and PSG remains in high demand. Tickets for their semi-final in New Jersey on Wednesday start at a cool $199.60. Winners of the two semi-finals will play for the trophy and mega prize money at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 13.
